


Project: Teenage Wasteland

by xoKyorii



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Adventure, All the Friendship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Island Resort, Romance, Summer Vacation, Teenage Shenanigans, all the feels, all the teen romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 123,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoKyorii/pseuds/xoKyorii
Summary: AU. Eight unique sweepstake winners spend the entire summer on a lavish island resort built exclusively for teenagers only and partake in all sorts of drama.
Relationships: Axel/Larxene (Kingdom Hearts), Hayner/Olette (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Naminé/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Xion (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 22





	1. the summer of our lives

**Background Information:**

**LOCATIONS**

**Kingdom Hearts Resort:** An island resort built exclusively for teenagers only.

 **Destiny Islands:** A luscious island with picturesque white sands and crystal waters that is home to Sora, Kairi, and Riku.

 **Twilight Town:** A peaceful sunset-painted suburb/town where Hayner, Pence, Axel, and Xion reside.

 **New Twilight:** The heart of Twilight Town's downtown area that is home to both Roxas and Naminé.

 **Radiant Garden Academy:** A prestigious boarding school attended by Kairi and Olette.

**TERMINOLOGY**

**Fuqboi:** A fuck boy. The lowest possible form of asshole.

* * *

**[ REC o ]**

"Is the camera on? Are we on? Yes? Are you getting my good angle, 'cause my hair looks so much better on the—oh, we're on right now? Okay. Ahem. Good morning Teenage Wasteland viewers! It's your favourite TV personality, Selphie Tilmitt, coming to you live from the newly built Disney Castle of Kingdom Hearts Island Resort: the hottest summer resort built exclusively for teenagers only!

I am very excited to announce that in honour of the castle's completion, the Dr. Scrooge Sea Salt Ice Cream Company has agreed to give four lucky winners the opportunity to live in the lavishly decorated castle for the entire summer! And on top of staying in the island's most prestigious suites with royal treatment, winners are allowed to bring one guest, will have access to fast passes to all resort attractions, and will win two thousand munny as a welcoming gift.

All you have to do is purchase a sea salt ice cream bar at the nearest store near you, and if your popsicle stick reads winner, prepare yourself for an incredible summer to come! Who will be our lucky winners this year? Wherever you all may be, we can't wait to give you one hell of a vacation. This is Selphie Tilmitt, signing off!"

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
I | the summer of our lives

* * *

**Destiny Islands, 7:28AM**

"Bag of M&M's?"

"Check."

"Two packs of bacon?"

"Check."

"Nerf Raider CS-35?"

"Check."

"Nerf Maverick REV-6?"

"Check."

"Extra pack of Nerf bullets?"

Riku shakes his head disapprovingly as he lowers his best friend's crumpled and poorly written list.

"Sora, do you really need to pack all this stuff?" he asks. He observes the list once again, noting that they're not even halfway through the _Super Important!_ section. "We'll be working like ninety percent of the time. You'll barely have time to even use this crap."

"It's an island full of teenagers, Riku," Sora reminds while snatching the paper from his hands. "I'm not wasting any chances for safety."

"I hardly consider Nerf guns a reliable form of defense," Riku admits with a chuckle.

"Okay one, these things are deadly if you have my killer precision," Sora argues. "And two, these are the only weapons I'm allowed to bring without security questioning me at the airport. It's not like I can just pack my keyblade and be on my merry way."

"Whatever," Riku says while making his way to the door. "Just meet me in the car once you're done packing your five packs of paopu juice."

"You're right, it should be six," Sora ultimately decides as he reaches for his mini fridge and tosses another pack into his luggage. Riku shakes his head once again.

"Just hurry up. We need to be at the airport in half an hour," he reminds. Sora only sends him a knowing grin.

"You just can't wait to lay your eyes on some eye candy," he says.

"Well it's as you said, Sora," Riku starts as he exits the bedroom with a similar grin. "It's an island full of teenagers, and I'm not wasting any chances."

When his skirt chasing best friend is out of sight, it is Sora's turn to shake his head in mock disapproval. After gracing the contents of his messily organized luggage with one final glance, he then checks the last thing on his list and pulls open the drawer on his nightstand. Inside lies a pink envelope addressed to someone named Kairi in poor calligraphy.

He stares at the name for quite some time and it stares back, pleading to be taken with him. He briefly wonders if he'd have the opportunity to use it over the course of the entire summer, but on the slight chance that he did, he didn't want to waste any chances.

Without further hesitation, he takes the envelope and tosses it into his luggage.

* * *

**Twilight Town, 8:45AM**

"Attention all passengers. Flight 109 to Kingdom Hearts Island Resort is now boarding rows one through ten. I repeat, flight 109 to Kingdom Hearts Island Resort is now boarding rows one through ten…"

As the same message was repeated in Japanese, a blonde-haired, brown-eyed teen keeps his eyes fixated on his portable video game console while everyone within a five-meter radius scrambles to their feet.

"Hayner," a voice calls.

"Hmm?" the blonde-haired boy responds, refusing to tear his bloodshot eyes off his little screen.

"Hayner," the voice calls again. The Hayner character only proceeds in button mashing like no tomorrow.

"Hayner!" the voice calls urgently. The gamer moves his headphones to uncover one ear with irritation.

"What?" Hayner asks, clearly annoyed.

"We're boarding," his companion responds calmly. Without losing focus on his game, Hayner gets up from his seat and languidly drags his luggage to the lineup. He doesn't even bother to react when his companion snaps yet another picture of him.

"You know, I'm not going to get much of a variety for my photography blog on this vacation if you're just going to play video games the whole time."

"Quit worrying, Pence. I'm not going to," Hayner assures, although his inability to look up from his screen bears little to no promise. "I'm sure you can capture me doing some pretty interesting stuff during my breaks—like when I take a dump or something."

"Hayner," Pence starts tiredly.

"I'm just kidding, man."

"I also advise you dress less like a fuqboi and more like a normal person," Pence suggests.

"What's wrong with my getup?" Hayner asks when he admires his camo pants and crewneck.

"Nothing," Pence replies. "It just isn't suitable for where we're going. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it's hot on an island resort."

"Only because I'll be there," Hayner says while popping his collar in a fuqboi-like fashion.

"You know, despite all the fun things this vacation has to offer, I hope that you'll find that there's a world beyond fun and games," Pence says. "You need to stop playing someone else's story and look at yourself as the player in your own."

"So you want me to have a summer of meaningless hookups?" Hayner jokes.

"Not that kind of player," Pence says mid-sigh. "And let's face it: you're not nearly smooth enough to pick up so many girls."

"Are you kidding me? I'm so smooth I bet people would want to wipe their asses with me." Hayner then twitches at his choice of words. "Okay, that came out wrong—"he says while turning away from Pence in embarrassment, but instead his knees collide with the luggage in front of him, effectively causing him to trip and fall.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," the young woman in front of him apologizes. Hayner's first instinct is to grab his video game console five feet away, but a rather pale hand beats him to it.

"Excuse me, that's mi—"Hayner starts, but his words are cut short when he looks up at the owner of said hand. For the first time since his arrival at the airport, his full attention was given to someone other than his video game.

The young woman in front of him had one of the sweetest faces he'd ever seen. Her eyes were a vibrant green, her brown hair was tied into two neat braids, and her petite but curvy body was covered in nothing but an orange sundress that left much to the imagination.

"I believe this is yours," she says while giving him what was rightfully his.

"I, uh, gerblah," is what escapes Hayner's mouth. For a moment his hand grazes hers while retrieving his gaming console, so he drops it again at the warm and foreign sensation. He quickly picks it up and turns around. Despite her laughter, he was far too shameful to look the girl in the eye again.

"Smooth," Pence comments.

"Shut up."

* * *

**New Twilight Airport, 9:12AM**

"Roxas, I'm scared. I-it's my first time."

"I know it is. That's why we're going to do this nice and easy, okay?"

"O-okay. Will you promise me that everything will be fine?"

"You might experience some minor discomfort, but I promise you that everything will be completely fine and that this will only bring us closer together."

"O-okay."

"Are you ready, Nams?"

A deep breath. "Ready."

"On the count of three then. One, two, three!"

On the third count, Roxas lifts his girlfriend off the ground by the waist and carries her into the airplane. A few seated passengers offer their applause while teenagers still waiting in line behind the entrance send him irritated glances. The one directly behind him rudely pops her bubblegum right in front of his face.

"Sorry," Roxas says sheepishly. "My girlfriend Naminé is agoraphobic and it's her first time on a plane."

"Tell it to someone who cares," says the young woman. As she shoves Roxas and Naminé aside, Roxas inwardly nicknames her Bubblegum Bitch. He takes his girlfriend's hand and protectively leads her down the aisle.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for me to go on an island full of teenagers?" Naminé timidly asks as she gets a good look at the variety of teens on display.

A teen with far too many tattoos and piercings to properly make out their face bobs their head to heavy metal music leaking from their headphones, another with an obnoxious looking horse mask shakes their head with their buddy in a unicorn mask, effectively bashing their noses together, and another… well, she didn't want to know what was going on behind that _special magazine_ of his that covered his crotch.

"This will be good for you, Nams," Roxas assures. "Don't approach it with a negative attitude. This is the final step towards curing your agoraphobia. If you can make it this far, you can make it anywhere!"

When the couple reaches their designated window seats, Roxas finds that Bubblegum Bitch has taken the seat directly in the middle.

"Um, excuse me, we're actually supposed to take 16B and 16C," Roxas informs as he shows her the tickets. Bubblegum Bitch slowly turns to look at him with her sunglasses still on and pops another bubble in his face.

"Oh, Roxas, you don't need to—"Naminé starts, wanting to avoid conflict as much as possible.

"No, hun, she needs to understand that we booked these seats ahead of time," Roxas argues. "Could you kindly move, please?"

"I want this seat," Bubblegum Bitch decides.

"But you _can't_ —"Roxas starts, but Naminé holds him back with a soft embrace.

"Roxas, it's fine," she assures with her cheek pressed against his chest. "Just let her have the seat. I don't mind."

"But…" Roxas pushes, but the pleading look in her eyes is enough for him to stop arguing.

He allows Naminé to take the seat closest to the window, as he wants her to have the most out of her first plane ride, and offers to lift her carry on and his guitar case into their appropriate cubby. When he plops down into his seat, he notices his girlfriend looking outside the window with a stiff posture. She nervously bites her lip and clenches her hands into two fists.

"Hey," he says softly, sensing her obvious discomfort. He reaches for one of her hands across Bubblegum Bitch, and if she was somewhat bothered by this gesture, she showed no indication.

"We're going to have the greatest summer ever," Roxas promises when Naminé turns to face him. "And I'm going to be with you every step of the way."

Naminé smiles and tightens her grip on his hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," Roxas whispers, and as he leans over for a kiss, Bubblegum Bitch decides that this is an appropriate time to blow another one of her bubbles.

Irritated, Roxas pops the bubble himself and pulls the string of gum from her lips and tosses it onto the floor.

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts Resort Airport, 10:28AM**

"Did you really have to order all those drinks on the plane?" Xion asks as she and her lanky red-haired companion wait for their belongings at the baggage claim area. The redhead decides to remove his sunglasses, only to be overwhelmed by the amount of sunlight seeping through the glass windows.

"What time is it?" he asks groggily.

"Ten thirty in the morning," Xion answers with a chuckle.

"Well my philosophy is that somewhere in the galaxy—"

"—it's party time," Xion finishes knowingly. "I know, Axel. I've got it memorized."

"Then you've learned well," Axel says with a proud smile. "I just think it's only right to take advantage of the resort's drinking age."

"You know, sometimes I feel like I'm more of an adult than you are," Xion says while retrieving her first luggage from the carousel.

"Excuse me?" Axel asks, feigning offense. "I'm nineteen and you're like, what… seventeen? You're practically a baby."

"And you barely met the age requirement," Xion counters. "You're practically ancient."

Axel acknowledges her comeback with a grin. "Touché, but who's the one who actually gets to drink?"

"I hardly consider that an advantage," Xion says. "And here I thought two semesters in college would help you mature a bit. What do you major in again?"

"The Ups," Axel answers while slipping on his duffel bag. "You know, turning up, hooking up…"

"Fucking up," Xion adds cheekily.

"Hey!" Axel yells. "You know, I didn't have to ask you to come on this trip. I could've been a sore little winner all on my own."

"Aww Axel, don't be like that," Xion pleads with a pout. "And let's be real: you didn't have anyone better to take this summer."

"You're right," Axel quickly admits while throwing an arm around Xion's petite shoulders. "Now let's go cause all sorts of trouble."

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts Resort: Disney Castle, 11:48AM**

When Kairi and Olette exit the limousine sent for them at the airport, they find themselves standing before their new temporary home. They stop dead in their tracks, mesmerized by the Disney castle's grandeur and elaborate architecture. It looked just like the stunning animations played at the beginning of the most recent Disney movies, minus the shiny logo and the Mickey Mouse shaped fireworks in the background.

"Whoa…" is all Kairi can manage.

"This place has roofs on roofs," Olette observes with awe. The brick foundation was light peach in colour, the roofs a royal blue, and the waving flags a deep, regal red. "And I totally wasn't expecting the moat."

"And the best part is that it's all ours for the entire summer," Kairi reminds excitedly. "Come on, let's go see what's inside! I bet we can see the entire island from up there!"

"Oh I hope there's a huge library inside," Olette confesses as they walk across the bridge towards the archway that granted access into the castle through a set of large double doors. "I really want to do well on the essay we were assigned for the summer."

"You're going to bring up homework? Seriously? We're on _vacation_ , Olette. Live a little! Hug a palm tree, live the thug life, eat some ice cream on the beach, and maybe get yourself a short-lived but undoubtedly hot summer love that you'll probably eat buckets of ice cream for after we leave," Kairi suggests with enthusiasm.

"Okay one, I have an issue with the amount of ice cream that this plan implies, and two, I find the latter very unlikely," Olette presumes. "If I was on a pH scale, I'd be level fourteen because I'm about as basic as they come."

Kairi immediately disagrees. "No you're not. That blond guy at the stop over at Twilight Town was totally checking you out."

"He was not!" Olette argues with a subtle pink tint to her cheeks.

"Let's agree to disagree," Kairi offers. "But you seriously need to cut it out with the chemistry jokes. We're at Kingdom Hearts Island Resort. This is going to be the summer of our lives! Let's not ruin it by living in the past, okay?"

"You're right," Olette admits. "We've worked hard this past semester. We can let loose a little."

"Exactly!" Kairi exclaims with an enthusiastic fist pump. With each step towards the entrance, she was getting closer and closer to getting through to her workaholic roommate.

"We deserve this trip. It's exactly what we need," Kairi insists when she begins walking backwards to face Olette. "Luxury suites with incredible views, fast passes to countless attractions, over the top parties and events, unlimited food, and most importantly, no—"

Kairi's words are cut short when her back collides with something—or, more accurately, some _one_ dressed in a Mickey Mouse mascot costume—that doesn't see her coming. The weight of the large head causes he or she to lose balance and eventually forces them to topple over the bridge and into the moat. Kairi and Olette both share a wide-eyed look before rushing over to the railings of the bridge with racing hearts.

From the dark below, a Mickey Mouse head floats to the surface, and just before Kairi places a hand over her heart as a sign of respect, another head—a human head—forces itself onto the surface with a loud gasp. Kairi's heart stops, but not because of relief—in fact, it's quite the opposite.

An unruly mess of brown hair that already appears to be defying gravity sits atop the human head, and Kairi knew only one person with such hair.

"Kairi?" asks the familiar—albeit childlike—voice. The Mickey Mouse impersonator tilts his head upward to look at her, but she no longer needs to see his face for confirmation.

"Drama," she greets.

**tbc**


	2. ohana

**Background Information:**

**OTHER**

**MeTube:** YouTube.

 **Twitfacelr:** A mixture of twitter, Facebook, and tumblr.

 **Quickgram:** Instagram.

 **Destatiian:** The language spoken on Destiny Islands.

 **Call of Destiny (COD):** A mixture between the first-person shooter (FPS) video games Call of Duty and Destiny, both of which are not owned by the author.

 **Alliance of the Ancients (AoA):** A multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game that is typically played in two separate teams of five (top, mid, jungle, two bot). Essentially a parody of DotA and League of Legends.  
**  
Teenage Wasteland:** The title of the reality show hosted by Selphie Tilmitt revolving around the events of Kingdom Hearts Island Resort as well as the members within the newly built Disney Castle. The show is currently in its second season and has episodes released weekly on the resort's website.

 **"Bold font":** Selphie's voice during confessional interviews, which take place in the left wing lounge.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the well-known saying from _Lilo and Stitch_. You'll know it when you see it.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
II | ohana

* * *

The memories, which are still so vivid in Sora's mind, flow like sand in an hourglass.

Four-year-old Kairi, timidly hiding behind the mayor of Destiny Islands; nine-year-old Kairi, throwing paper airplanes at his head whenever he fell asleep in class; fourteen-year-old Kairi, short-haired and collecting seashells by the seashore; sixteen-year-old Kairi, long-haired and bathed in sunlight while he caressed her cheek; two months later, sixteen-year-old Kairi, slipping through his fingers with only her lucky charm left in his hand; and now, nearly seventeen-year-old Kairi, staring daggers at him with her jaw slightly agape.

"What are you doing here?" is the first thing she blurts out. She outstretches her hand towards Sora and pulls him out of the water, but despite this kind gesture, he doesn't fail to notice the mortified look on her face.

"I, uh… I'm working here for the summer," he answers while shaking his head vigorously like a wet dog. It is then that the bulky Mickey Mouse costume explains itself.

"Oh," Kairi says (whines, really).

After realizing that she was probably going to be stuck with him for the entire summer, the air between them becomes downright awkward. The distance between them is no longer one meter, but one year, one world. It felt as if one second ago, Kairi thought that she had stepped into the greatest summer among summers, and in the next, she was faced with what could potentially be the most uncomfortable experience of her life.

Out of all the teenagers within the galaxy, why him, why now? Sora was supposed to be miles away. She made sure of it.

"Wait a minute," Olette says when she begins to feel the discomfort radiating from her roommate. "Could this possibly be… Sora? As in… _Sora_ Sora?"

"I don't recall my name having two parts nor being said with such emphasis, but yes, I am Sora," he says while outstretching his gloved and rather large hand with his signature smile. "Nice to meet you, er…"

"Olette Lovet," she responds while accepting his hand with both of hers. "I'm Kairi's roommate at Radiant Academy. I've heard so much about you from yours truly over there." Olette shamelessly makes a grand gesture towards her roommate.

"Is that so?" Sora asks, widely amused. Kairi, although red faced, turns away and begins walking up the grassy hill towards the bridge.

Olette is quick to catch up with her, and when she does, she whispers the following: "Kairi, I thought you said _cute_ ex-boyfriend Sora, not _hot_ ex-boyfriend Sora."

Kairi, who briefly considers jumping into the moat herself, offers her roommate the fakest of smiles. Beneath her pearly whites, a demon awaited. Sora, however, crosses his arms with a flattered grin.

"So you said I was cute, huh?" he asks when they reach the entrance.

"I never said that," Kairi immediately blurts out.

"Uh huh," her ex-boyfriend presses, clearly unconvinced. Kairi opens her mouth to respond but decides against it when another familiar and masculine voice interferes.

"Sora!" it exclaims. Kairi watches as Sora looks past her with his lips and arms open wide.

"Roxas!" he greets with enthusiasm. Kairi and Olette watch as the beheaded Mickey Mouse runs past them towards a blonde-haired young man with facial features much similar to his own.

"You're finally here! It's great to see you again, man!" Sora says while pulling the 'Roxas' character into a bro hug. "I was so psyched when I saw your Twitfacelr post about coming here. I missed you, man."

"Aww, I missed you too," Roxas teases while offering Sora a pat on the back. "I'm glad we get to spend our summer together in Kingdom Hearts freaking Resort. These next few weeks are going to be _legendary_."

"You know it," Sora answers while bumping a fist to his chest. "So I don't know if Axel already told you, but he won the sweepstakes too! Weird coincidence, huh?"

"Oh I know," Roxas answers. "We've been talking about joining the Battle of the Bands competition on the island. We just need to, you know, assemble an actual band."

"I think Riku and I can have something arranged," Sora suggests. "Besides, I've always wanted to be by your side while you achieved your dreams of being a musician someday!"

It is then that Sora notices the petite young woman hiding behind Roxas' arm. With her porcelain skin, platinum-blonde hair and glassy blue eyes, she looked almost doll-like.

"Oh, is this who I think it is?" Sora asks slyly. Roxas smiles a long-awaited smile.

"Nams, this is my cousin Sora that I've told you about," Roxas introduces. "Sora, this is my girlfriend, Naminé Sato." He then presents his girlfriend with a flourish.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Sora says while taking her frail hand in his. "Roxas tells me you're quite the artist."

"Th-thank you," Naminé timidly replies. "It's nice to meet you, too."

At the presence of a young lady, Sora then recalls the presence of two young ladies he had just rudely abandoned out of excitement. "Kairi, Olette, don't be strangers, get over here!" Sora then hollers. The two girls who seemed to be whispering to one another make their way over with friendly smiles.

"Roxas, you remember Kairi," Sora says when his brother and ex-girlfriend share a hug. "Girls, this is Roxas' girlfriend Naminé."

"Oh, how could I forget Kairi," Roxas says while sending Sora a knowing look. Sora merely scratches the back of his head sheepishly while the girls exchange handshakes.

"It's been a while, Roxas," Kairi observes. "About three years I think."

"Sounds about right," Roxas answers. "It's great to see you again." After offering Kairi a final smile, his eyes finally linger onto Olette.

"Olette, this is my cousin—"Sora starts.

"Roxas Akiyama," Olette finishes while moving forward to shake his hand. "I'm Olette. It's such an honour to meet you. I've heard your music online on MeTube. You're amazing."

"Thanks," Roxas replies with genuine gratitude.

"I know, he's great, isn't he?" says another familiar voice—one very familiar to Roxas in particular. "But if you ask me, his best friend is better. Much better."

The musician turns to confirm his suspicions and smiles when his eyes land on a lanky teenager walking towards him with bold red spikes and a bandana wrapped around his neck.

"Axel!" he exclaims as he excitedly closes the walking distance between them.

"Roxas, my man!" the redhead greets while going through the motions of their handshake.

"Naminé, this is my ever so famous side hoe that I've told you about, Axel," Roxas introduces teasingly. "Axel, this is the main hoe, Naminé." When his girlfriend sends him a disapproving look, he offers her an apologetic kiss on the cheek.

"It's so nice to finally meet you in person," Axel says while shaking the porcelain doll's hand. "Roxas doesn't ever shut up about you. Now I see why he never leaves New Twilight to visit." The pyromaniac then looks Naminé up and down with an approving nod, and the artist's cheeks turn a very visible shade of red.

"Hello," a timid voice then greets. From behind Axel emerges another petite figure sporting one of Axel's oversized sweaters, a spaghetti-strapped skater dress underneath, and short, jet-black hair cut more for comfort than style.

"You brought Xion," Roxas whispers. Naminé twiddles her thumbs uncomfortably. Judging by his reaction, Roxas clearly wasn't expecting her.

"Uh, yeah," Axel answers while awkwardly running a hand through his hair. "Thought it was finally time for a reunion."

"Hi Roxas," the 'Xion' character greets.

"Hey, Xi," Roxas says in a gentle manner. "Naminé, this is my good friend Xion," he then introduces without taking his eyes off his 'friend'. It is this gesture that mentally confirms Naminé's suspicions as she mechanically outstretches her hand.

Xion is not just a friend.

"Hey," a voice calls from the castle doors mid-swing. "Sora, are any of the guests here yet? They were supposed to start checking in ten minutes ago."

And when the doors open completely, Kairi too finds herself reuniting with a familiar face.

"Riku!" she exclaims while releasing her grip on her luggage and backpack.

At the sound of his name being called, the well-toned silver-haired teen walks out of the castle in a manner reminiscent to a model walking straight out of a beach ad.

Riku Kenbishi, the third pea in Sora and Kairi's once inseparable pod, then finds himself being pulled into a familiar embrace—a gesture that he willingly—albeit slowly—accepts and would make Sora very _very_ envious, had he not respected their camaraderie. After all, he had to consider the most important factor: it wasn't Riku that Kairi broke up with.

"Kairi," he then says. "What are you doing here?"

"I won the sweepstakes!" Kairi answers while playfully jabbing him in the elbow. "Why else would I be here?"

"Not sure," Riku replies truthfully. His eyes then lock with Sora's, who wears an expression that teeters between sadness and hope. It is then that Riku makes the connection that Sora and Kairi would be stuck on the same island, in the same house, for the entirety of two and a half months. He shakes his head at his discovery with a smile.

"It's just… coincidental is all," he adds. Then, in one swift motion, he throws an arm over both his best friends' shoulders and offers them an affectionate squeeze. "Wow, this summer is going to be just like old times, huh?"

While Sora leans into the familiar embrace with enthusiasm, Kairi squirms with discomfort.

"S-so anyways," Kairi starts. "What was that you were saying about getting accommodated?"

* * *

The interior of the Disney castle is nothing short of breathtaking as its exterior had implied. The architecture paid tribute to both medieval and modern styles but focused more on the latter. The walls, painted a creamy beige colour, were lined with elaborately carved columns that kept the groin-vaulted ceiling intact, and a long red carpet leading towards two sets of curved staircases covered the marble floors. On the second floor, classical paintings hung from the walls, two hallways led to two separate wings, two sets of elevators were separated by large double doors that led to what was presumably a ballroom, and in the center, a large, attention-seeking chandelier bathed the foyer in a warm, welcoming light.

"So Roxas and Kairi, huh? Small world," Riku says as he and Sora take their rightful places behind the desk to check in their guests.

"Yeah, although Kairi doesn't look too happy to see me," Sora admits while sorting through a pile of key cards.

"Well what did you expect?" Riku asks with a mild chuckle. "That she'd run into your arms without any effort?"

"Uh, yeah," Sora answers. "Preferably in slow motion—you know, so it lasts longer."

Riku fails to hold back a chuckle. "That's not likely coming from the girl that dumped you. We may be in the Disney castle, but this isn't Disneyworld, Sora. Welcome to the harsh and complex world that is reality."

"Ugh," Sora groans. "I just wouldn't know where to start."

"Let me talk to her and see what happens," Riku suggests.

"Do you really think I'll have a chance?" Sora asks.

"I think so," Riku answers.

Sora's eyes light up as if he were a puppy with a treat dangling above him, but the moment is short lived. No less than five seconds later, a shrill voice captures everyone's attention by the staircase of the right wing.

"Welcome to Kingdom Hearts Island Resort!" exclaims the all too familiar voice of TV personality Selphie Tilmitt. She descends the staircase accompanied by a camera crew and two young men: one with spiky hair and literal Prince Charming with lustrous blond locks.

"Oh no," Sora says when he catches Kairi and Olette stealing glances at Prince Charming and giggling amongst one another. "No no no no _no_."

"Sora," Riku starts tiredly.

"Is this really happening right now?" Sora asks as he watches Charming gracefully descend the staircase while running a hand through his disheveled surfer hair in slow motion. He sports a navy blue golf shirt, beige chinos, and a photogenic smile.

"Is that… Tidus Clearwater?" Riku asks when the familiar features set in.

"Yup," Sora answers through gritted teeth, seething at the display of male perfection. "Look at him. He's like every ex-boyfriend's waking nightmare."

Riku only rolls his eyes.

"I hope you all had a comfortable flight," Selphie says. "We're all very excited to kick start the summer of your lives. As you all probably already know, I'm Selphie Tilmitt. This is Wakka, editor of _Teenage Wasteland_. Expect to see him a lot as he'll be editing and filming footage for the show with our camera crew." Selphie then gestures to the teen with tanned skin and hair shaped into an upside down broomstick.

"Ey, how's it goin'?" he asks with a thick Destatiian accent.

"And this is Tidus," Selphie says whilst presenting Prince Charming. "Tidus Clearwater: star player of the Zanarkand Abes and younger brother of Terence Clearwater, founder of Kingdom Hearts Resort."

"Hey," Tidus greets with a playful salute. Olette and Kairi desperately try to hold back their dreamy sighs.

"I hope you've all gotten well acquainted with each other as well as Sora and Riku," Selphie then starts, "because you'll be spending a lot of time together this summer."

"Great," Kairi mutters under her breath.

"You'll all be sharing the same roof for the next few weeks, which makes you ohana," Selphie continues. "And what does ohana mean? Family, and family means—"

"—pulling at each other's hair and fighting over food," Sora answers proudly and logically.

"Um, no," Selphie says. "It means nobody gets left behind."

Everyone scoffs at the cliché answer.

"So don't hesitate to ask Sora and Riku for anything. They're responsible for tending to each and any one of your needs," Selphie explains.

"Each and every one of your needs," Riku calmly repeats with a subtle wink. While Kairi rolls her eyes with a knowing grin, Selphie tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear with a giggle, Olette blushes madly, and Roxas protectively pulls Naminé to his side.

Tidus then clears his throat to dissipate the awkward air. "Now, before you all go running off into your rooms, I would personally like to welcome all of you to the resort and invite all of you to join us for the welcoming party at the Atlantica water park. It'll be the first party of many, and it would be an honour to have our special guests there. Guest stars like Yuna Riel will be there, too."

"Oh my gosh, Yuna Riel? I love her," Axel gushes. Everyone then turns to face Axel with confused expressions. The redhead coughs and clears his throat. "I mean, you know, 'cause she's hot. I don't listen to chick music."

"Hey, watch it. That's my girlfriend you're talking about," Tidus threatens teasingly. Olette and Kairi slump their shoulders in defeat. Sora, on the other hand, tries to throw a fist in the air in triumph but Riku stops him midway. "I hope to see you all there. It was very nice meeting all of you. Enjoy your summer."

While Tidus makes his way to the exit, Selphie begins counting the amount of guests present.

"Huh, I was supposed to round you all up for introductory interviews, but I think we're missing two people," Selphie observes. She then begins scrolling through the tablet she retrieves from her Stella Fleuret purse. "Hayner Arundel and Pence Montague haven't signed in yet. Does anyone know who these guys are?"

Just as everyone is about to shrug, the entrance doors burst open.

"We're here!" Pence breathlessly exclaims. "Sorry we're late. _Someone_ here wanted to stop for corn dogs." He narrows his eyes at his blonde-haired, corn dog stuffed companion.

"What?" Hayner asks, his voice muffled due to the obvious corn dog currently in his mouth. "You know I can't control it. Once I see it, it's going in my mouth."

"Well I knew at least one of us was gonna roll like that," Axel confesses. "I just didn't think it would be this soon or this easy to discover who."

The corn dog immediately falls from Hayner's mouth. Selphie squeaks in disgust when the snack nearly rolls onto her six-inch heels.

"Okay, first of all, no," Hayner says. "And second, _damn_ , check this place out. Swanky."

"Fuqboi alert," Axel coughs.

Hayner's sights then linger onto a familiar looking brunette from the airport.

"Why hello," he says while starting his advances. Olette raises one of her eyebrows and grins nervously. "I think we've met before. I was the smooth criminal that stole your heart back at the Twilight Town airport."

Olette elbows Kairi as the redhead bites back a chuckle.

"I think you're mistaken," Olette argues. "I believe you were the not-so-smooth klutz that tripped on my luggage."

"All right, I get it," Hayner says, hands raised in surrender. "Playing the hard to get angle. I feel you. Just know that I'm a pro gamer, and this here—"Hayner then gestures to the space between them, "—is just another level for me, and I'm going to find a way to push forward, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, sure," says Olette, her expression a mixture between confused and entertained. Pence, however, is downright tired of his companion's antics.

"Uh, all right," Selphie says with discomfort. "Now that everyone's here, you're all welcome to get settled in your rooms. Interviews will be held in the left wing lounge in an hour. See you all then."

"Man, I'm so pumped to be a TV celebrity for the summer," Axel says once everyone disperses with excited whispers. "I've already been practicing my good angle smile. How's this?" He then proceeds in turning his head and flashing a grin.

"It's great," Xion answers. "If, you know, you're going for a constipated look."

Axel groans.

"Hey, you guys work here, right?" Hayner asks Sora and Riku.

"Sure do," Sora answers proudly. "And you're Hayner Arundel. I've seen your gaming channel on MeTube. Good stuff, man. I never would've improved at Call of Destiny or Alliance of the Ancients if it weren't for you." Sora then offers him a bro shake, which he accepts with enthusiasm.

"Thanks man," Hayner says while shaking Riku's hand as well. "Glad I could help." Then, discreetly, "So can we get down to some business?"

"What do you mean?" Sora asks fearfully.

"I need the wifi password. Now."

* * *

"Why the long face, Kairi?" Riku asks as he escorts Kairi and her luggage to her room. A crimson coloured carpet runs along the hallway, accompanied by hollow knight sculptures and paintings encased in golden picture frames.

"We haven't seen each other in nearly a year. I'd imagine you'd be a little happier," Riku says.

Kairi hugs her right arm and sends Riku an apologetic look. "Sorry Riku. I'm just a little out of it. I'll be fine, I promise."

"This doesn't have anything to do with what happened between you and Sora, does it?" the silver-haired Adonis asks bluntly. When he sees Kairi tense from the corner of his eye, he knows he's caught her off guard.

Her once great relationship with Sora, now deduced to nothing more than awkward Skype conversations every two months or so.

"How are things with _you_ , Riku?" Kairi then says, obviously trying to steer their ship of conversation in another direction. "You're heading off to university this September. How does that feel?"

"Kairi," Riku says knowingly.

The redhead sighs in defeat. "You know I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't see why it would affect you. You're the one who called it off," says Riku.

"For a _reason_ ," Kairi reminds.

"I hardly consider moving to a prestigious boarding school in Radiant Garden a valid reason," Riku voices.

Kairi crosses her arms and frowns. "Seriously? Sora and I dated for like two months that summer. We didn't stand a chance against the perils of the long distance relationship. I was just trying to make sure that none of us hurt more than we needed to."

"But would you deny that those were the happiest two months of your life?"

Silence. A victorious silence.

"Distance shouldn't come between love or years of meaningful friendship," Riku says. "I know that is so off character of me and if you ever tell anyone I said that I'll punch your left tit, but that's all in the past now. I know you've tried to keep in contact with us—me more than Sora, of course, but you shouldn't let the past bother the present or your future. It's summer vacation, and you're in the happiest place in the world."

 _That's debatable,_ Kairi thinks, but with a sigh, accepts Riku's words. She knows there's no arguing with him, and beneath his lush, silver hair, chiseled muscles and "God's gift to women" façade, a warm and sensitive heart beat that he revealed only to Sora and Kairi herself.

And besides, as much as she'd hate to admit it, Kairi had felt a familiar warmth in their three-way embrace earlier that satisfied a longing that she'd thought she'd cast aside.

"All right," she says, defeated. "I'll try warming up to him." Then, defensively, "but _don't_ expect me to get back together with him by the end of this summer. That's not happening. The furthest we're going is rekindling our platonic friendship."

"Sure," Riku says, although knowing deep down that she's wrong. "Well, this is you," he then says. He stops in front of a mahogany door, inserts Kairi's key card, opens the door, and presents her room with a bow.

"Thanks, Riku," Kairi says, and before going inside, offers him one more hug. "It's nice to finally see you again," she mumbles into his shoulder.

Riku offers her a light pat on the back before mumbling a swift "nice to see you too" and salutes her just as she closes the door. He throws his hands into his pockets, and just as he turns the corner of the hallway, he bumps into little Naminé.

"Sorry," Riku apologizes.

"Oh, it's okay," Naminé whispers timidly after some time. He then notices her luggage resting behind her.

"Here, let me help you with that," Riku offers.

"Oh, you don't have to—"she starts.

"I insist," Riku says.

"All right," Naminé whispers, and because she's so pale, the red tint to her cheeks is _very_ noticeable.

"So I don't think I've formally introduced myself to you," Riku notices. "I'm Riku."

"N-Naminé," the artist stammers. Without Roxas, she was pretty much hopeless with strangers.

"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me, okay?" Riku reminds with a mechanical smile. "I'm here to help make your summer more enjoyable," he says while inserting her key card into her door.

Naminé acknowledges his reminder with a nod. "S-sure. Thanks, Riku."

And when she walks into her room, Riku actively has to tell himself not to stare at the cute little ass subtly outlined by her short white dress. Riku may have liked to fool around, but he didn't fool around with taken women.

"Well if it isn't Riku," a voice greets.

"Roxas," Riku says. He watches as Roxas walks in front of him to shut Naminé's door.

"Good to see you again, bud," he says while clapping Riku's shoulder. The silver-haired teen only nods in acknowledgment. When Naminé is presumably out of earshot, Roxas cuts to the chase.

"So I heard that you like to have little flings," Roxas says bluntly. Riku doesn't protest. "Don't worry, I see where you're coming from," Roxas assures. "If my best friend got the girl after so many years I'd start to question the worth of relationships and have commitment issues, too."

"Where is this going?" Riku asks tiredly.

"I know we haven't seen each other for about three years, but we're still buddies, right?" Roxas asks. Riku nods. "So, buddy to buddy, can I ask you to lay off my girl?"

Riku crosses his arms with a smirk.

"You don't have to worry about that," he assures. "I have a whole island of teenage girls to disappoint."

"All right," Roxas says. "Sorry if I made things a little awkward back there. Just wanted to clarify some things."

"It's no problem. I'd see myself as a threat as well," Riku teases. "My man bun game is pretty strong."

Roxas rolls his eyes and scoffs. "I'll catch you later, okay? Hope you can join me and Axel for Battle of the Bands auditions next week."

"Yeah, Sora told me about that. You can count me in."

"Seriously?" Roxas asks excitedly.

Riku shrugs. "Sure, why not? I came here to make munny for med school. Wouldn't hurt to make more."

"Thank you," Roxas says with an appreciative bro shake. "I'll see you in the practice room?"

"You got it," Riku answers.

After Roxas bids him one final farewell, Riku makes his way down the hallway once again and catches Xion standing by her door with an expression reminiscent to a child stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar. His eyes lock with hers for a brief moment, but before he can offer his help, she scurries into her room with a squeak.

* * *

In the castle's left wing, Sora escorts Hayner to his room.

"So, as your fellow gamer, I bet you hooked me up with the best room in this place, huh?" Hayner asks.

"Uh, not exactly," Sora admits as he hands Hayner his key card. The gamer accepts it with a look of both suspicion and betrayal.

"Well, you see, since you were late, you and Pence were the last to sign in," Sora starts while nervously scratching the back of his head. "The system works on a first come first serve basis, and because you were too busy attempting to flirt with Olette—"

" _Attempting_?" Hayner repeats incredulously.

"—you were assigned the last room possible," Sora finishes.

"Oh I'm sure it can't be _that_ bad," Hayner says. He inserts his key card, opens the door, and an explosion of pink and princess gowns greet him on the other side.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

* * *

" **So, tell me a little about yourself. No need to be incredibly formal in your introduction. Just share some basics: hobbies, interests, maybe any events you're looking forward to?**

 **Kairi:** "Wait, how does this work? Is this going to be aired live or edited? Do we—wait, is it already recording? O-oh, sorry, ha ha… um, well, for starters, I'm Kairi. Kairi Hart. I'm sixteen years old, I'm originally from Destiny Islands, and… my dad's actually the mayor there. Um… what else was there? Oh, hobbies and interests, right. Uh, well I participate in a lot of athletic activities. I have a tier one gold belt in the Keyblade Arts, but because of my upbringing I'm mostly into swimming and volleyball, both of which I am the female captain of at—"

 **Olette:** "—the prestigious Radiant Garden Academy, which I am so fortunate to be studying in. I take pride in being a hard worker and enjoy learning about new things, so I'm really looking forward to learning and gaining more knowledge on this vacation. Knowledge is power, and I've always had a passion for—"

 **Hayner:** "—gaming. Gaming is my _life_. You name it, I'll play it. I'm most excited for the gaming competitions on the island. I might just find some worthy competitors, but those noobs might already know me from my gaming channel on MeTube. Online, I'm CuTiePie. What's that? You've never heard of me? I have over a million followers, lady. Get your shit straight. What? Seriously? I'm not allowed to—"

 **Pence:** "—swear, this is one of the best cameras I've ever used. I'm trying to get into film, documentaries in particular, but photography is one of my greatest passions. You can check out my work on my Quickgram account. My goal is to capture the truth with my lenses, both the good and the bad, and there's nothing that captures truth more than—"

 **Roxas:** "—music. Expressing what's truly within your soul through song? If you ask me, that sounds a lot more intimate than sex. W-wait, okay, maybe not _exactly_ , but… can you just cut that last part out? No? Ugh, crap… well, um, so I guess I'm super pumped to express my passion for music by competing in the Battle of the Bands competition with my best friend—"

 **Axel:** "—Axel Kiryu. Get that name memorized, ladies, 'cause you're gonna be yelling it all night. What am I looking forward to? Spending all my complementary munny and rockin' your world. Boyfriends, get ready, 'cause Mr. Steal Yo Girl is about to work his magic on the ladies. Wait, what else was I missing? Hobbies? Oh, right. Hmm. Is this show rated T? Yeah? Okay, I can't answer this."

 **Naminé:** *nervously whimpers beneath a blanket*

 **Xion:** Uh, hi… my name's Xion, I'm seventeen, I'm from Twilight Town, and… well, there's nothing special about me, really. I'm pretty basic. I know, great selling point right? But I honestly haven't really done much with my life apart from the ordinary. I wake up, I go to school, I eat, I sleep. What am I looking forward to? The highlight of my life pretty much. This is as good as it gets. I'm looking for an experience that I can consider—"

 **Sora** : "—extraordinary, which I consider this job opportunity to be. I'm all about fun and adventure, and what better place is there for fun than the happiest place in the world as a funtertainer? And apart from getting paid to do fun things, what am I looking forward to? Well, not to bear my soul to complete strangers or anything, but… there's… someone here I still kind of have feelings for, and I'm excited to win back their affections. Wish me luck!

 **Riku:** … Wanna make out?

After a not-so-discreet giggle, Selphie hops onto Riku's lap and demands Wakka to turn off the camera.

* * *

When Sora finishes unpacking the rest of his things (otherwise known as throwing the contents of his luggage onto the top bunk of the bunk bed), Riku walks into their room with a subtle but triumphant grin on his face and lipstick marks all over his neck.

"Seriously?" Sora asks incredulously. "We haven't even been working for more than three hours."

Riku merely shrugs and plops down on the lower bunk.

"So I spoke to Kairi," he starts.

Sora immediately moves to edge of the top bunk and hangs himself upside down like a bat to face his companion.

"And?" he asks eagerly.

"She just wants to be friends," Riku confesses. It's not a lie. It's what she currently _thinks_ , but she'll come around eventually, Riku figures.

" _Yes_!" Sora cheers as he tumbles off their bed and onto the floor. Riku looks confused.

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought," Riku admits. "You don't seem to mind starting from the bottom and working your way to the top."

"Dude, don't you get it? She doesn't _really_ want to be friends," Sora reasons as he rummages through his things for a certain envelope.

Riku tilts his head in sheer curiosity. "Care to elaborate?"

"Kairi's a girl," Sora explains.

"I'm quite aware of that. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Girls do that weird reverse psychology thing, right?" Sora asks. "It's like when they tell you that they don't want that necklace for their birthday but if you don't get it they'll beat the shit out of you with a struggle bat?"

"I don't know, man. Kairi may be a girl but deep down, she's our best friend. She's kinda like one of the guys, straight up and real, but with boobs." Then, just to clarify, "Girl boobs, not man boobs. That would be pretty disturbing."

The boys shiver simultaneously at the mental image.

"Anyways," Sora says while stuffing the envelope into his back pocket. "I'm off to get my woman back at tonight's party. It's a pool slash beach party right? That's how Kairi and I got together the first time. It _has_ to be fate."

"Wait, Sora, I don't think that's a good idea," Riku admits, but before he even has the opportunity to stand, Sora is already out of his reach, figuratively and literally.

Riku sighs to himself. "And the plot thickens."

**tbc**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two notes:
> 
> So this chapter wasn't really meant to push the story forward too much. Its intention was to know our characters and their relationships a little better, to reveal a bit of their backstory, but not too much. Things will slightly start to progress from here.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the second installment of Project: Teenage Wasteland! Please kindly leave a comment to tell me your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors that I might have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!
> 
> xoKyorii


	3. all sorts of trouble

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
III | all sorts of trouble

* * *

On the third floor of the Disney Castle, Xion sits at her vanity table, preparing for the night's festivities.

Unlike Hayner, she was actually quite satisfied by the theme of her room. She had the fortune of having the Wonderland themed room with colourful décor and whimsical furniture all around, her personal favourite being the mushroom beanbag chairs. Atop her teacup shaped bed lays her outfit for the evening: a maroon skater dress with another one of Axel's oversized sweaters thrown on top for comfort.

A knock at the door suddenly distracts her from her task.

"Coming!" she hollers. She sets her hairbrush down and answers the door to find a concerned looking Axel on the other side.

"You can't go to that welcoming party," he says while barging into her room.

"What?" Xion asks, closing the door behind her with a mortified expression. "Why?"

"You know why, Xi," Axel replies. "There's going to be drinks and people and chaos. It'll be too much for you."

"But…" she says, obviously hurt. She wasn't hurt because he wanted to restrict her; she was hurt because he was right. "Earlier at the airport you said we could cause all sorts of trouble together."

"It was an in the moment thing," Axel immediately reasons. "I'm sorry, Xi. I promised you I'd take care of you if I took you with me."

"And leaving me behind is going to do that?" Xion asks. "Being trapped at home in Twilight Town was one thing, but being trapped in this castle with thousands of attractions outside is another. This is far more cruel, Axel."

The redhead runs a hand through his spikes and lets out a conflicted sigh. It's Xion's turn to be right.

"I'm sorry, Xi," is the last thing he says before shutting the door behind him.

While Xion hangs her head low in defeat, Axel straightens out his shirt, clears his throat, and begins to make his way down the hall only to bump into Roxas turning the corner. The latter glances at the closest door behind the redhead and immediately puts the pieces together.

"How bad has it gotten?" Roxas asks solemnly.

Axel purses his lips. "Her lifespan's been cut in half since you've left."

Roxas' eyes visibly widen. "But it was already halved when I left."

"So you're picking up what I'm throwing down then?" Axel asks. Roxas curses under his breath and turns away in guilt.

"I'm sorry I stopped visiting," he confesses.

Axel chuckles half-heartedly and gives Roxas' hair a brief ruffle. "I appreciate that, but I don't think I'm the one you should be telling that to."

The blond's eyes then turn to the door behind Axel.

"Can you do something for me?" Roxas then asks.

Axel snorts. "I don't think you're in any position to be asking for any favours given what you just apologized to me for, but because I'm quite possibly the greatest being on this planet, I'm all ears."

"Can you check out any of the competition for Battle of the Bands at the party tonight?"

Axel nods. He knows what his best friend is getting at. "You're not coming?"

"Nah," Roxas answers while throwing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Nam doesn't really do parties."

"Right," Axel remembers. Then, after a brief silence, "You know what we have to do, right? About Battle of the Bands?"

Roxas nods in understanding as Axel salutes him farewell. The blond then makes his way to the door in the middle of the hallway and takes a deep breath before rapping his knuckles against the door. Moments later, Xion answers the door slightly teary eyed and mid-lecture.

"I can't believe you were actually going to leave me like that! You can be such a buttsack someti—oh," Xion then says, catching herself. "Roxas, I'm sorry, I thought you were—"

"Axel, I know," he answers. "Can I… is it okay if I come in?"

Roxas notices Xion's brows furrow ever so slightly before deciding the let him in.

"Whoa," is the first thing he says upon entering her room. "Your room is way cooler than mine. I have this Olympus Coliseum thing going on, but I personally dig these mushroom beanie bag cha—"

"Why are you here, Roxas?" Xion interrupts. Roxas nearly flinches at her sharp and abrupt delivery. He was never used to hearing it.

"I, uh…" he stammers. He then clears his throat before cutting to the chase. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

He sighs in relief when he sees Xion's eyes soften at the words.

"I'm sorry for not visiting Twilight Town as often as I should have," he then clarifies. "I didn't know how bad it got… and I know New Twilight is only a two hour train ride away, so I'm sorry for being a dick and not taking the time to get on it to see you guys. I got way too distracted with my newly found love with Nams, and I know that's no excuse for what I did, so… to make up for it, Axel and I are going to join Battle of the Bands and use our share of the prize munny on the treatments that your mom couldn't afford."

Xion crosses her arms with a small frown. "I appreciate the apology, but my friendship isn't something you can just buy, Roxas."

"I'm not trying to buy your friendship," Roxas assures. "I'm trying to buy you time. Time so that I can gain it back."

At this, Xion's frown slowly transitions into a thankful smile. Considering the amount of time she had left, she knew she couldn't use it despising Roxas for what he'd done in the past. Slowly but surely, the empty space between her and Axel on the clock tower becomes a distant memory. What mattered was that Roxas was here now and that the trio was in the same place at the same time for the next two months.

And if there was a silver lining in her condition, it was that she's learned that life (specifically hers) was too short to hold grudges.

"Thank you, Roxas," she then says softly. He outstretches his arms and she willingly crashes into the familiar embrace. "At least we have this summer," she murmurs into his chest.

Roxas' eyes slowly begin to tear up at her choice of words.

"At least we have this summer," he repeats wearily. Then, after a few minutes of well-needed comfort, Roxas turns their hug into a supportive one-armed gesture. "Now come on. Nams and I are watching a movie in the home theatre. You should join us! There's even a snack bar."

"Are you sure Naminé won't mind?" Xion asks. "I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"She won't," Roxas assures. "Now let's get this summer started."

* * *

At the Atlantica water park, the welcoming party is in full swing. The park has been transformed into an aquatic nightclub infested by thousands of half-naked teens mindlessly bouncing and gyrating to a catchy electronic dance beat supplied by DJ Demyx (and a line of other teen DJs looking to showcase their talent) at a large castle-shaped stage built just at the tip of the wave pool. Blue, purple, and green spotlights trap everyone in an underwater trance, and spherical cabanas resembling bubbles line up the sides of the large pool. Right beside the wave pool, Kairi, Olette, Hayner, Pence, and Axel sit at the stools of one of the many snack bars, the oldest of the group complaining about the lack of alcohol being served.

"They're not available at large gatherings for obvious reasons," Olette explains with her nose buried in one of her novels. "You're only allowed to purchase alcohol at certain stores if you're of age. Didn't you read that on the website?"

"I don't think he reads anything, Lette," Kairi points out with a giggle. Axel immediately sends her a dirty look to which she says, "Apart from girls' numbers, of course, which I'm sure he gets so many of."

Axel's lips then turn upward into an approving smirk. "Got that right. I like you already."

"I'm afraid you're not the only one who does," Olette mutters jokingly, earning herself an elbow jab from her roommate.

Axel merely chuckles. "I'm well aware of that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do some recon for Battle of the Bands."

After rubbing his hands together mischievously, the lanky redhead runs off past the seats of Hayner and Pence to begin his scouting mission.

"Did you hear that, Hayner? Axel's joining Battle of the Bands," Pence informs. The gamer, who is currently engrossed in his portable console, merely shrugs, clearly unimpressed.

"I also heard that Roxas, Sora, and Riku will be joining him too," Pence presses.

"So what?" Hayner asks.

"I'm sure they don't have someone that can work with polyphonic analog synthesizers," Pence guesses. "Not like you can, at least."

Hayner merely scoffs. "I have every intention to crush every noob this summer in every gaming competition on this island. Being in a band is not on my agenda."

Pence almost sighs in defeat until his eyes land on a familiar brunette sitting a few stools away from his best friend. His lips curve upward into a knowing grin.

"You know, chicks dig a guy who can play an instrument," Pence reminds. He catches Hayner's fingers twitch ever so slightly before resuming their standard movements.

"Yeah, we'll see," Hayner mutters under his breath.

At center stage, the current song fades into its last bar of beats before Tidus Clearwater takes the mic into his hands and addresses the crowd.

"Good evening all! Is everyone having a good time so far?" he yells charismatically. His, to quote Sora, "perfectly unkempt surfer hair" blows back at the overwhelming positive response of the screaming teens. "Good, that's what I like to hear! So that we can continue partying our first night away, I'm going to keep this welcoming speech short and sweet. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Tidus Clearwater, brother of Terence Clearwater: founder of this wonderful paradise that will be home to us for the next two months." More cheers sound at this.

"My brother founded this resort on the hope that together, teenagers could find not only new connections and lifetime friends, but also themselves through the many activities that this island has to offer," Tidus continues. "And who knows? Maybe you'll even find that special someone, too."

From their seats, Kairi and Olette giggle upon looking at Tidus' face on the multiple stage screens.

"Now, enough with the formalities," Tidus announces. "I would now like to introduce all of you to _my_ special someone, pop sensation Yuna Riel, performing her new hit single 'Real Emotion'!"

The lights dim, and the instant the words "What can I do for you" are seductively whispered into the microphone, the entire stage illuminates and the crowd goes wild.

Back at the drink bar, Olette and Kairi try not to notice Axel screaming like a wild fangirl while singing a horrendously off-tune version of the song not more than ten meters away from them.

"Hello ladies," greets a familiar voice. Kairi and Olette pause their head bobbing to find Sora heading towards them no longer dressed in his work uniform, but in a navy blue shirt and maroon-coloured swimming trunks instead. Given the amount of water being splashed from nearly every direction, Kairi tries not to notice how tightly her ex-boyfriend's shirt clings onto him. Growing up, he was a fairly scrawny kid—now, not so much.

"You know, you don't have to follow us everywhere we go, Sora," Kairi reminds to get her mind off the subtle display of his lightly toned muscles. "Besides, aren't you off work at eight?"

"I consider my job as a funtertainer 24/7," Sora replies while taking the—now—unoccupied seat beside the redhead. Olette giggles at his reasoning and closes her book shut.

"I'm going to see what Hayner and Pence are up to," the brunette decides while hopping off her stool.

"Wait, what? No!" Kairi whines. She grabs onto the hem of her roommate's sundress in desperation. "Don't you dare leave me alone with him," she whispers.

"Sorry!" Olette apologizes before scurrying away.

"Buttsack," Kairi mutters under her breath.

"What was that?" Sora asks innocently.

"Nothing," Kairi assures with a fake smile.

"So, uh," Sora starts while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Can I get you a drink or something?"

Kairi eyes the nearly finished milkshake on the bar that she'd shared with Olette moments before and shrugs.

"Sure," she sighs. She did promise Riku she'd try to be civil. "Why not?"

Backstage, one of the cameramen catches Tidus and Yuna in a heated argument that is broadcasted on the multiple screens onstage, though inaudible. The teens watch in fascination as their favourite pop star sensation yells at the star player of the Zanarkand Abes, and by the looks of it, the former was winning. The fight ends with the latter storming out, the sound of a ringing microphone that was accidentally knocked over, and numerous gasps and "oohs" from the audience.

Back at the bar, Sora returns to Kairi with their orders and a sharp intake of breath.

"Yikes," the brunet says in regards to the backstage fiasco. "Wonder what that was about."

"Not sure," Kairi replies. "But I'm certain it wasn't supposed to be witnessed by thousands of people."

"You're right," Sora agrees while setting their orders down. "Let's not pry."

Kairi then stares at her order as a wave of nostalgia hits her full force. Strawberry milkshake, extra whip, no chocolate sauce, cherry on top with a side order of fries with ketchup and spicy mayo on the side. Back on Destiny Islands, at a diner open 24/7 called the Inside Scoop, this was her standard order. It was as if she had been transported to one of the booths with Sora's arm around her shoulders and Riku sitting on the opposite side, shaking his head—albeit with a smile—at the display of shameless flirting before him.

"You remembered," is all she says as he slides the milkshake towards her.

"How could I forget?" is Sora's reply. Kairi then takes a slow sip of her drink and criticizes the taste.

"Hmm, good, but not as good as home," she wholeheartedly admits.

"No," Sora agrees as he watches her with his chin resting against his palm. "No it isn't."

Kairi then takes this time to notice how much Sora had changed in the last twelve months. His eyes still held their childlike wonder, but his face had matured to that of a young man. The baby fat that once made his cheeks full were now gone, and in its place were high cheekbones and a defined jawline. His arms, which used to look long in comparison to his once lanky frame, now had a hint of muscle forming. He wasn't defined like Riku, but he was certainly getting there. His sense of fashion had somewhat evolved, too. Gone were the loose T-shirts and shorts from his preteen days. In its place were more fitting and flattering articles of clothing that clearly distinguished him from the boy she remembered.

Kairi then berates herself for noticing such things. This was Sora she was talking about. Ex-boyfriend Sora. Broke-up-with-him-for-a-reason Sora. She couldn't go down this path of admiration again. She had to change the subject. Her eyes then drift onto the mediocre strawberry milkshake.

"You know, this reminds me of the time Ventus tried recreating milkshakes at home," Kairi recalls. "Close, but not close enough."

Sora smiles at the distant but fond memory. "And let's not forget the mess he made in the kitchen."

Kairi lets out a chuckle. "It took Aqua three days to clean every speck of strawberry residue."

"Yeah, he should probably stick to keyblade training," Sora suggests.

"Agreed," Kairi says.

Soon enough, Sora joins Kairi in the chuckle-fest. When the laughter subsides, Sora then places a hand in the pocket of his swimming trunks. The envelope was still there, waiting. He never thought he'd get the chance to _actually_ use it, so now was as good a time as any.

"So uh, Kairi," he starts nervously. "Now that we're on the same island and all…"

"Wait," Kairi pleads, knowing the direction of the conversation based on Sora's tone and facial expression alone. "Sora… you're… you're not seriously trying to get back together with me are you?"

Sora briefly recalls a time in middle school where Riku spun him on the tire swing so hard that he flew right off and had the wind knock right out of him the instant his body hit the ground. Kairi realizing his intentions almost instantly felt much worse than that.

"Wh-what?" he squeaks, the corner of his upper lip twitching slightly. "Psh, no. Why would I do that?"

Kairi scoffs in pity at his pathetic attempt to play the situation off. Sora always wore his heart on his sleeve. It was one of things she admittedly loved about him back then. "Sora, you're the most transparent person I know. Just be honest with me."

"W-well," he stammers. "I just thought… since you told Riku you weren't interested in being friends, I assumed you were doing that reverse psychology thing girls do when they want the complete opposite thing that they say they _don't_ want, so..."

"So you assumed that because I didn't want to be friends, I wanted something more?" Kairi asks. Sora shamefully nods. His ex-girlfriend merely sighs. "Sora, I'm going to be totally honest with you for your benefit. I don't want to lead you on or give you false hope, so I'm going to give it to you straight: I have no intention of getting back together with you. I literally just got here nine hours ago."

As an act of pure desperation, Sora then reaches for the envelope in his pocket. "But Kairi—"

Kairi is quick to hop off her stool and cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Sora," is the last thing she says before running off to grab Olette.

As he watches her retreating figure, Sora is reminded of the first time he let Kairi slip through his fingers on the beach of Destiny Islands. He hangs his head low in defeat as he loosens his grip on the piece of paper in his pocket. Riku was right. Kairi didn't like to play mind games like that, which was one of the many things that he admired about her. Growing up with her meant that he'd known that as well, but he was too caught up in his hopes of winning her back that he forgot what kind of person she truly was. He mindless twirls a French fry in between his fingers at this revelation before letting it drop onto the plate of—now—stale fries.

He'd been such a fool.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter Inspirations:** The song playing at the Atlantica welcoming party before Yuna's performance was _Azukita_ by Steve Aoki.


	4. pilot

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
IV | pilot

* * *

In Wonderland, Xion wakes from her slumber with a half smile.

Her reunion with Roxas was everything that she wanted it to be, but as fun as the night's festivities were, Xion couldn't help but feel like a third wheel in between him and Naminé. The latter was nice enough to allow her to join them in the theatre and even offered to let her pick the movie, but Xion couldn't help but feel like she was getting in the way. She was always getting in the way.

It's then that she hears the hushed whispers by her bedside nightstand.

"Zoom in, this is good…"

"Closer?"

"Yes, closer, closer… yes, right there."

Xion quickly turns to find Wakka and a cameraman behind her nightstand with smiling but guilty faces.

"Seriously?" she asks incredulously. Xion then hops out of bed and begins hammerfisting the backs of both teenage boys while leading them towards the door. "I'm not even doing anything remotely interesting, and this is a _huge_ invasion of privacy! Get out! Get _out_!"

After a confident kick to Wakka's back, Xion finds herself crossing her arms at the end of the hallway as the two snickering boys run down the hallway with their camera and boom pole. After blowing a strand of stray hair from her face in exasperation, Xion suddenly becomes aware of her attire and blushes red in embarrassment.

It then dawns upon her that the world would soon see her in her chocobo pajamas.

Just as she comes to this embarrassing realization, Riku walks out of Hayner's room dressed in his work uniform (a turquoise golf shirt and beige shorts) with a garbage bag and some cleaning supplies in hand. He suppresses his laughter with a smile as Xion attempts to cover herself up.

"For the record, I think they're cute," he kindly assures.

"Thanks," Xion says through even redder cheeks and gritted teeth.

"Now come on," Riku says while tilting his head towards the end of the hallway. "Let's grab some breakfast with everyone before Sora scarfs everything down."

* * *

The dining hall, located just before the left wing lounge, was two storeys tall with High Renaissance style paintings of Disney characters lined up on the ceiling and walls, numerous crystal chandeliers above, plush, velvet chairs all around, and undoubtedly pricey silverware. At the end of the table, Selphie contently sips on her iced tea while reviewing Wakka's footage on her tablet.

"So before you all run off for more island shenanigans, I would like to take some of your time for a second round of interviews before the first episode of Teenage Wasteland is aired," Selphie requests. "No more than five minutes per person should suffice."

"So how exactly does this work?" Hayner asks through a mouthful of waffles drowned in syrup. "How often are episodes released?"

At the very sight of Hayner, Selphie suddenly feels the need to wipe her own mouth with a napkin before responding.

"Well, episodes are released on a weekly basis, and they're broadcasted on the resort's official website where they can be viewed by all. They're also shown on the resort's TV channel, which is available only on the island. Some events, however, are broadcasted live, like Battle of the Bands, for instance."

Roxas and Axel share a high five at this.

"Are we the sole focus of each episode?" Roxas then asks.

"No," Selphie assures. "You're all merely a segment of each episode, but as the castle's very first sweepstake winners, you do play a crucial part in the show. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to help set up the lounge for your interviews. Feel free to finish your breakfast and freshen up before coming to see us."

As Selphie takes her leave, Pence narrows his eyes in suspicion as she and Wakka join forces in the lounge next door.

"All right guys, here's what's going down," Pence says in a hushed whisper. "You have to be careful what you say in there. Teenage Wasteland is an entertainment-based show, so they'll manipulate the footage in any way they can to make our stories seem more interesting to the public. Take this warning seriously: don't say or do anything that could possibly make you look bad, got it?"

"Yeah," Olette agrees. "Remember, even our parents can access the episodes on the resort's website. And more importantly…" the brunette then gulps at the realization. "How we're portrayed could potentially affect our college applications."

Everyone rolls their eyes and scoffs at the 'C' word.

"Oh please," comes the nonchalant delivery of Axel. "No adult is interested in watching a bunch of troublemaking teenagers do stupid things. My professors don't even give a damn if I'm in class or not eighty percent of the time. Besides, what do you innocent kiddies even have to hide? Did you steal the last cookie from the cookie jar? Big whoop."

"Well _I_ personally don't have anything to hide," Hayner says, "but I'm sure Kairi over there doesn't want a whole island of teenagers to know about her little crush on Tidus Clearwater."

At this, Sora nearly drops the tray of fruits that he was kindly serving his cousin.

"What? I do not have a crush on Tidus Clearwater!" Kairi says defensively. "I just think he's cute," she admits (Sora's heart sinks at this). "Much like ninety-nine percent of the girls on the island, I'm sure."

Olette, Naminé and Xion all attest to this with shameless nods.

"What?" Roxas squeaks at the sight of his girlfriend agreeing with Kairi. "Even you, baby?"

"But he's not as cute as _you_ , sweetie," Naminé assures. Axel gags as his best friend leans in to plant a kiss on his lady's cheek.

"So now that this case is pretty much closed, can you not spread that around?" Kairi pleads. "What are we, in high school?"

Apart from Axel, everyone silently blinks twice at Kairi's question.

"Um, yeah," Hayner answers. "For the most part, we are."

" _Anywho_ ," Pence interrupts. "Let's all take precautions and _not_ accuse anyone of anything during the interviews, okay?"

Everyone collectively nods and disperses to prepare themselves.

* * *

Much like Xion, Kairi was more than satisfied with the theme of her room. After inserting her key card, she walks into her Moroccan palace style abode covered entirely in royal pinks, purples, and golds. Her circular canopy bed sat at the left side of the room, just beside the white balcony doors, and to the right, another set of double doors led to her walk in closet and personal bathroom. A lounge was situated in the center of the room, consisting of a golden coffee table and two velvet couches with elaborately carved frames, and above, a crystal chandelier bathed her luxurious room in a warm light.

Kairi then makes her way to her rather large walk in closet and selects a simple white top and high-waisted pink skirt for the day. In the middle of getting dressed, she suddenly hears her room door swing open. Her eyes widen in surprise. No one else but the staff had access to her room.

"Kairi," comes the worried and familiar voice of Sora. When he finds her in her closet, she luckily has all her clothes in order, but she still shrieks, nonetheless.

"What the hell, Sora?" she screams. "Have you ever heard of knocking? I could've been in my underwear!"

Her ex-boyfriend suppresses a laugh at this. "You act like I haven't seen that before."

He narrowly dodges the white sneaker aimed for his head.

"What was so important that you couldn't wait until I answered the door?" Kairi asks, breaths still heavy.

"You…" Sora starts, his voice wavering. Now that he really thought about it, perhaps he shouldn't have impulsively waltzed into her room, but there was certainly no going back now. "You can't be interested in him. T-Tidus, I mean."

Kairi immediately sees red. Of all the things that he could've chose to be concerned about, it had to be that? Her instinctive reaction is to first storm out of her closet and into her room where she calculates her response.

"First of all, that's none of your business, Sora," she then growls. "In the hypothetical case that I was actually interested in him, you still wouldn't have any say on who I can and can't be interested in. Second, why _wouldn't_ I be able to be interested in him? Because he's not you?"

Sora remains silent. It's like she'd taken the words straight out of his mouth.

"Did you really expect you and I to run off into the sunset the instant you saw me, credits scrolling upward and all? If that's the case, you've taken way too many volleyballs to the head," Kairi concludes.

"I just… don't have a good feeling about him," Sora says defeatedly.

Kairi crosses her arms with a frown. "Is that what we're going by here? Your instinct?"

"Please, Kairi," Sora pleads. "We're still meant to be."

Kairi turns away from him with gritted teeth and her fists now clenched. It was only her second day in paradise, and all Sora managed to do was keep her from enjoying it.

"Then why aren't we together?" she then asks amidst the silence. Sora is noticeably taken aback by this, but before he can respond, Kairi leads him towards the door.

"Get out, Sora," Kairi warns.

"But Kairi—"Sora begs while back-peddling.

"Get out!" she repeats while practically kicking him out of her room. Her door shuts with a loud _slam_ before Sora himself finds reality slapping him right in the face.

Riku had been right again, he thinks with a sigh. This may have been the Disney castle, but it definitely wasn't Disneyworld. This wasn't some fairytale where their love story would just happen through musical numbers and many expositional cues. This was reality, and it wasn't going to play nice.

Sora then runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. This was going to be a long summer.

* * *

**"So in yesterday's introductory interviews, we all got to you know you better. Now, we all want to know what you think of each other. I know it's only been a day since you've all met, but we just want to get a feel of what kind of relationships you already have, some first impressions you may have had, and what dynamic you'll all have together. So, with that being said… Olette, Kairi won the sweepstakes, right? Why did she choose to take you with her? What's your relationship with her?"**

Olette squirms in discomfort and she calculates a safe answer for the cameras. Pence was right: they really would try and pit everyone against each other as the price for entertainment.

**"No need to overthink, Olette. Just let out the first thing that comes to mind."**

"Um… well, Kairi's my roommate back in Radiant Garden Academy. It's a boarding school for, um… elite minds and talents," she says carefully. "We've known each other for almost a year now and she's one of the greatest friends I could ever ask for."

**"That's nice. Yesterday Kairi told us that she was the mayor's daughter back on Destiny Islands. Can you attest to this? And did you know that before she became your roommate?"**

"Um, yes," Olette answers. "She really is the mayor's daughter. And yes, I was told who my roommate would be before the semester started."

**"Interesting. And how did you react when you found out that you'd be rooming with the daughter of a political dictator? Were you nervous, excited?"**

"The news certainly intimidated me at first and made me somewhat nervous," Olette admits. "But when I met her, it was a friendship bound from the getgo. Kairi's one of the most down to earth, supportive, hard working, and humble people you'll ever come across."

**"So you were glad that she didn't end up being a spoiled brat with her rather wealthy upbringing? Oh, and for editing purposes, we ask that you repeat part of the question before answering."**

"Oh, of course," Olette says with an understanding nod. "No, Kairi totally didn't end up being a spoiled brat despite her wealthy upbringing, in fact she—wait," Olette pauses, realizing the trap that Selphie had led her into all too late. "Wait, um… is there a chance we can repeat that last part?"

**"Nope. I think we got what we've needed anyway. Thanks Olette!"**

The brunette hangs her head low in shame as she exits the lounge.

**"So, Roxas and Naminé. How long have you two been together?"**

"Ten and a half months and counting," Roxas answers dreamily. He places an arm around his shaking girlfriend to reassure her of his presence and support.

**"And how exactly did you two meet?"**

"Oh," is all Roxas manages to say towards the rather personal question. Naminé squeezes his hand and nods: a gesture he has long associated with the words "it's okay". After clearing his throat, Roxas formulates his answer. "Well, you see, Naminé's got agoraphobia, so for most of her life she's been living in different… institutes."

"U-Until I met Roxas in New Twilight, that is," Naminé adds. "I never would've gone outside if it weren't for Roxas."

At this, Roxas squeezes her affectionately.

"I was assigned to her institute for volunteer hours," Roxas continues. "But even after they were completed I just couldn't stop visiting and caring for her. She's a charmer, this one."

Naminé blushes as Roxas plants a quick kiss on her forehead.

"And now she lives with my aunt in the neighbourhood next to mine," Roxas informs. "We couldn't be any happier."

**"That's cute. Does have anything to do with your success as an online musician? Your muse, perhaps?"**

"You know, she's actually the one who manages my MeTube account," Roxas admits. "She's the whole reason I got into the online music business! She videotaped me one day and, unbeknownst to me that night, she created an account and posted it online."

"By the following morning, he had over twenty thousand views, and we've just kept growing from there," Naminé announces. "Roxas is incredibly talented, and I just wanted the whole world to see it."

"Aww, baby," Roxas coos. "My girl is also insanely talented. You should check out her illustration gallery online."

"Roxas…" Naminé mumbles in embarrassment.

**"Mhm, I'll be sure to do that. So, uh… how exactly does the uploading process work for your MeTube account?"**

Roxas begins to rub the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I'm not going to lie, it's a tiring process, but it really is a labor of love. We actually have a small studio set up in my garage—"

**"Sorry to cut you off, Roxas, but it seems our five minutes are up. I think we have everything we need though, thank you!"**

"You're, uh… welcome, I guess?" Roxas squeaks.

**"Axel Kiryu."**

"What do you got for me, babe?" the pyromaniac confidently asks while leaning back on the couch.

**"It says here that you won the sweepstakes. Why did you choose to take Xion with you? What's your relationship with her?"**

"Xion… Xion's like my little sister," Axel answers. "And as her honorary older brother, I just wanted to show her the good life, you know? Protect her from the bad guys, tease her about everything, cause some trouble here and there?"

**"So do you love her?"**

"Well yeah, obviously I love her," Axel says. "But like a sister, you know?"

**"Thanks Axel. I think we got it."**

"I totally fucked up didn't I?"

**"So, Hayner…"**

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" the gamer immediately yells in a battle cry-like fashion. Beside him, Pence merely hides his face in his hands.

**"Why hello Riku."**

"Did you call me down here for another make out session or are you actually going to interview me this time?" he asks haughtily with a seductive smirk.

**"Interview first, make out after. So… based on your interactions, it seems to me that you and Kairi have known each other for quite some time prior to yesterday's introductions."**

"Yeah, Kairi's one of my closest friends," Riku informs. "We grew up together on Destiny Islands. We probably could've come from the same womb, to be honest."

**"So she's like a sister to you?"**

"Sure," Riku answers.

**"Did you ever… you know, have a crush on her?"**

"..."

**"Sorry, let me rephrase. Did you ever find her cute?"**

"Well yeah she's cute," Riku admits. "Any guy would have to be blind not to find her cute."

**"Mhm. And what do you think of Naminé?"**

"That's an awfully random question to ask," Riku says with eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And I'm pretty sure Roxas would rip my dick off if I answered that question."

**"Well we can't have that happen. You kind of need it for… other things."**

"I certainly do," Riku admits suggestively.

"You guys are disgusting," Wakka voices from behind the camera.

**"Just shut up and leave, Wakka."**

* * *

In the practice room, located on the third floor of the west wing, Roxas and Axel await the arrival of their two new band members. Riku is the first to arrive with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Why the hell are you in such a good mood?" Axel questions from behind the drum set. "Didn't you just finish your interview with that crazy chick?"

"Yes indeed," Riku answers as he pulls the bass strap over his shoulder. "And let me tell you, it was very… informative."

"Aww yeah, my man!" Axel cheers as he offers their new bass player a high five. Roxas merely rolls his eyes at Riku's antics.

"Anyway, before you arrived, Axel and I were just thinking of names for our band," Roxas says, getting right down to business.

"Oh yeah," Axel says as if he'd just remembered. "I came up with a really good one."

"No he didn't," Roxas interjects.

"How does 'The Beatless' sound?" Axel asks excitedly. Riku and Roxas slap their foreheads simultaneously at the suggestion. It is then that their lead guitarist finally decides to walk through the door and make his appearance.

"What's gotten you in a slump, Sora?" Roxas asks with genuine concern. His cousin languidly makes his way over to the guitar and straps on without uttering a single word.

"I'm guessing the talk with Kairi didn't go well," Riku guesses.

"Not in the slightest," Sora mutters darkly.

"Dude, I know she's hot and all, but who cares?" Axel asks inconsiderately. "You're in a band now. Auditions are at the end of this week, and when we earn our spot in the competition, you'll have a whole island of girls to choose from!"

"Not the one that matters, though," Sora replies melancholically. In the few moments spent in a depressing silence, the boys begin to hear muffled bickering in the hallway. Out of sheer curiosity, Sora goes to answer the door only to have Hayner forcefully shoved inside by Pence.

"No!" the gamer cries. "No, you can't make me!"

"Be nice!" is the last thing his best friend says before shutting the door in Hayner's face. "And you can have your gaming systems back when you're done practice!" comes the muffled and fading voice of Pence who was presumably halfway down the hallway. After sighing in defeat, Hayner turns around to face four equally confused teenage boys.

"Hey," he greets awkwardly.

"Um… what was that about?" Roxas asks.

"I, uh… Pence thought…" Hayner mumbles. "I can work with polyphonic analogue synthesizers," he finally blurts out. While Sora and Roxas smile excitedly at the news, Axel finds himself in the middle of doing the math while Riku questions the skill of their potential new band member.

"Can you fully program them too?" he asks.

Hayner merely throws his hands into the pockets of his camo pants and shrugs nonchalantly. "In my sleep, with my tongue."

"Then welcome to the band!" Roxas announces. "You can set up your stuff right beside Sora. While you were gone, we were just coming up with potential band names. Got any ideas?"

"I have one—"Axel starts.

"No he doesn't," Roxas insists.

"Can't say I have any," Hayner admits as he sets up a stand in between Sora and Riku.

"I think it should be representative of who we are," Roxas suggests to get the ball rolling. "With that being said, I think we should first figure out how we want to market and portray ourselves. How do you think we should sell ourselves?"

"Fun!" comes Sora's immediate answer.

"Badass," Hayner says.

"Charming," Riku suggests.

"I'd say sexy, but that was ruled out the instant Hayner walked through the door," Axel teases with a snicker. As the subject of Axel's scorn begins to walk towards the doorway, the lead singer pleads for him to stay.

"No Hayner, stop. We need you. We promise we'll be nice. We'll _all_ be nice, right Axel?" Roxas asks through gritted teeth.

Axel groans and nods noncommittally.

"So how do we put all those traits into one name?" Sora questions.

"We don't," Riku answers. "I don't think we need a long name that expresses all the different traits we all possess. I think we need one that's concise and describes us all collectively."

"Good call, Riku," Roxas says. "So, uh… what do we all have in common?" Before the redheaded drummer even opens his mouth, Roxas is quick to shut him down. "And no, Axel, we are _not_ calling ourselves The Dicks."

Axel merely crosses his arms with a childish huff.

"Oh, I got it!" Sora exclaims. All the boys turn to face him with hopeful expressions. "We're all here for a reason, right? We've got to be. Riku, you promised your family you'd help pay for med school, right?"

"Um, yeah?" Riku answers, not knowing how it could possibly relate to Sora's train wreck of thought.

The brunet then points an accusing finger at their newest member.

"Hayner, I'm assuming you promised Pence you'd try to bond with us in exchange for your gaming systems, right?"

"Yeah," Hayner answers, eyes skittish.

"Roxas, I promised you that I'd be right by your side on your journey to stardom," Sora reminds. "And apart from the publicity and the satisfaction of achieving your dreams, I'm sure you have other reasons for being here, too."

Roxas offers his cousin a grateful smile before it fades into a neutral expression. He did have another reason for being here, and she was just a few doors away in the east wing.

"And Axel, I'm sure you have other reasons for being here apart from the girls," Sora concludes.

"That's right," Axel admits in a serious tone. He and Roxas lock eyes for a split second and share an understanding nod.

"All right, so what's your point?" Hayner then asks tiredly. The sooner he got this practice over with, the better. "We've all made promises. Hooray for us."

"That's exactly what I mean though," Sora says. "We've all made promises, so why don't we hold true to those promises and call ourselves The Oathkeepers?"

Amidst the contemplative silence, Hayner is the first to speak up.

"That's the stupidest fucking name I've ever heard."

* * *

At breakfast the following day, Sora excitedly pushes the double doors open with a bullhorn in hand.

"Good morning everybody!" he yells. Some feedback causes everyone to cover their ears from the obnoxious ringing.

"What the hell, Sora?" Kairi asks angrily.

"Guess what I have set up in the theatre," Sora says.

"If the answer isn't an all girl orgy, then I'm out," Axel immediately decides.

"Uh, no," Sora answers while scratching the back of his head. "Sorry man. A-Anyways, what I meant to say was that Selphie gave me a sneak peak at the first episode of Teenage Wasteland before it airs at noon! Would you all care to join me?"

Everyone in the dining hall is in the home theatre within seconds.

"This oughta be good," Axel says excitedly. "I hope they used my good side."

"I just hope they captured who we truly are," Roxas voices.

The instant Sora hits play, everyone falls silent as the voice of Selphie Tilmitt blares through the speakers.

**"Good afternoon Kingdom Hearts Resort, and welcome to this season's first episode of Teenage Wasteland! Teenage Wasteland offers the inside scoop on the island's hottest events, latest news, and our personal favourite, tasty drama!"**

An exterior of the Disney Castle is then shown, and Kairi and Olette hook arms in anticipation.

**"As you all know, our newly built and magnificent Disney Castle, located right at the heart of the resort, is now home to our eight lucky sweepstakes winners. Everyone, I would like you to meet Kairi, Olette, Roxas, Naminé, Pence, Hayner, Axel, Xion, and two of their very special helpers, Sora and Riku!"**

"So far so good," Roxas says as he throws an arm around his girlfriend with an approving nod. After a flattering headshot of each winner is shown, the show cuts right into the introductory interviews.

**Roxas: "Music. Expressing what's truly within your soul through song? If you ask me, that sounds a lot more intimate than sex. W-wait, maybe not exactly, but… can you just cut that last part out? No?"**

Roxas slowly pulls his hoodie over his head as everyone in the theatre releases their giggles.

"Dude," Axel snickers with a playful arm jab.

"Shut up," the blond mutters.

**Axel: Axel Kiryu. Get that name memorized, ladies, 'cause you're gonna be yelling it all night.**

"And that, kiddos, is how it's done," Axel says haughtily while pulling at his non-existent collar.

**"After a second round of interviews, we really got to know our winners a little better. Olette and Kairi are roommates slash close friends at Radiant Garden Academy: a boarding school for the elite, but just how close are these friends?"**

**Olette: Kairi's my roommate back in Radiant Garden Academy. Yes, she really is the mayor's daughter, but her rather wealthy upbringing has somewhat made her a spoiled brat.**

Jaws (specifically Kairi's) drop at this. Olette shamefully buries her face in her hands. She knew that the post-production crew would somehow manipulate the words that Selphie had tricked her into saying into the complete opposite of what she intended.

Footage of Sora carrying food over to Kairi at the Atlantica Water Park and Kairi kicking Sora out of her room follow suit to make it appear as if she were yelling at, as Selphie had so generously put it, "the help". Sora cocks his head to the side in confusion.

"And so it begins…" Pence mumbles.

**"Axel prides himself in being a big, bad playboy, but has this player finally reached game over?"**

**Axel: Xion… I love her. I just wanted to show her the good life, you know?**

Axel and Xion's eyes widen as footage of Axel leaving Xion's room the night of the welcoming party is shown. The camera cuts back to Xion laying on her bed with a half smile, then to a haphazard Axel who buttons up his shirt in the hallway.

" _Dude_ ," is all Roxas manages to say disapprovingly.

"That is _not_ what it looks like," Axel swears.

**"Is Hayner mentally stable?"**

Footage of Hayner hitting his chest and letting out a battle cry in the lounge is then shown alongside Pence with his face in his hands.

"Okay, you did that to yourself," Pence informs before his—now—paralyzed best friend even has a chance to act irrationally.

**"Roxas and Naminé have been dating for almost a year, but is Roxas growing tired of their love?"**

**Roxas: Well, you see, Naminé's got agoraphobia, and I'm not going to lie… caring for her… it's a tiring process.**

" _What?_ " Roxas screams. "I was talking about my recording process, not Naminé!"

Axel merely scoffs. "And you thought _I_ was messed up?"

**"Will temptations rip them apart?"**

Footage of Riku bumping into Naminé on the day of everyone's arrival is then shown, but the shot is angled in a way that makes it appear as if the two were kissing in a discreet corner of the hallway.

**"What do you think of Naminé?"**

**Riku: Well yeah she's cute. Any guy would have to be blind not to find her cute.**

Beside him, Riku feels Roxas' blood boil.

"Now Roxas," Riku starts, but before he can get another word out, Selphie delivers the final blow.

**"But little does Naminé know that she has some competition for Riku's affections…"**

**Sora: Apart from getting paid to do fun things, what am I looking forward to? Well, not to bear my soul to complete strangers or anything, but… there's… someone here I still kind of have feelings for, and I'm excited to win back their affections! Wish me luck!**

A slow motion shot of Riku giving Sora a noogie in the hallway is then presented, both with clear smiles on their faces. Roxas immediately pauses the video before it can go any further, and amidst the awkward silence, Sora is the first to find his ability of speech.

"Whoa… this show is good," he says dumbly.

Then chaos ensues.

**tbc**


	5. and the plot thickens

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
V | and the plot thickens

* * *

In the home theatre of the Disney Castle, the residents appear to be at war with one another.

"Dude, I thought we already had this discussion!" Roxas yells while pointing an accusing finger in Riku's general direction. "I told you to lay off my girl and you end up smooching with her in the hallway? I thought we were bros!" He then pulls his girlfriend to his chest in a protective fashion. "What else did he force you into, baby? I'll kill him!"

"I didn't force her into anything," Riku explains in a calm, cool, and collected manner. "She bumped into me in the hallway and I just asked if she wanted help with her bags. The cameras just happened to be at a convenient angle at the time."

In Roxas' arms, Naminé nods fervently in agreement. Hayner merely scoffs.

"That's not even the part that shook me," the gamer announces. "I knew Sora and Riku were close, but not _that_ close."

Sora's jaw drops at the false accusation. "Seriously? You all know I was talking about Kairi when I said that I still had feelings for someone here, right? Riku and I just have a very open bromance!"

Kairi can't help but turn red at Sora's statement, her reason for doing so teetering between embarrassment and flattery. Her ex-boyfriend's delivery was so nonchalant, so certain, so sure. It was almost like breathing for him, fully admitting his affections for her.

"What about Xion and Axel though?" Hayner then brings up. "I had no idea they were actually together!"

The two in question look at each other with incredulous expressions.

"That's because we're _not_ together," Axel explains.

"Yeah, Axel's more like a brother to me," Xion confirms while pulling on her elbow.

"I think I'm more surprised about how little Naminé had it in her to come onto Riku though," Axel admits, diverting the attention back onto Roxas' shaking girlfriend.

"I did not come onto him!"

"She did not come onto me!" come the simultaneous responses from both parties involved.

"All right guys, calm down," Kairi advises with subtle hand gestures. "This is exactly the kind of thing Pence and Olette warned us about. Us turning against each other? This is exactly what they want."

Axel nods in agreement. "Princess is right. This wasn't our doing."

Sora doesn't fail to notice the slight twitching of Kairi's lip at Axel's word choice.

"It's theirs," the pyromaniac finishes, pointing an accusing finger at two figures by the theatre doorway. As they slowly make their way to the front, Selphie and Wakka applaud themselves for a supposed job well done. The sound feels like a slap in the face for each victim.

"Guilty as charged," Selphie wholeheartedly admits. "Wasn't that just riveting? The editing was astonishing."

Roxas nearly gags. "If by astonishing you mean astonishingly horrible. That didn't capture who we were at all."

Amidst the murmurs and nods of agreement, Selphie crosses her arms.

"Well I don't know about Hayner. I'd say he was bang on," the reporter voices.

"Hey!" the gamer exclaims, clearly offended.

"So is there a way to like… un-air what we just saw?" Sora asks innocently.

Selphie merely wags her index finger in a teasing fashion. "No can do. It's already on the island website."

"Then can't we opt out or something?" Roxas desperately suggests. "This isn't what we signed up for!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid it is," Selphie says as she swipes through each of their signed contracts on her tablet.

"Well that's not fair!" Axel whines rather childishly. "No one actually reads all that crap!"

Kairi then sends her bookworm of a roommate a hopeful look only to have her raise her hands in surrender.

"It was twenty pages long," the brunette reasons. "I only got to eighteen before giving up."

"So what the heck are we supposed to do?" Sora whines. "Have the whole island think I'm romantically affiliated with Riku and just be okay with it?"

"That's the way it has to be, Sora," Kairi says with a heavy sigh. "Now why don't we all go have some fun and get our minds off this? We live in a digital age. No one's going to remember any of this in the next two days. It's just some stupid TV show."

While Selphie places a hand to her chest, clearly offended by the redhead's rather bold statement, the rest of the victims nod in agreement.

"Okay, princess," Axel says. "Sounds like a plan."

"Can you not call me that?" Kairi asks through gritted teeth. Axel merely shrugs, knowing that any promises he makes will be empty ones.

"Go have fun," Naminé says as she shoves her boyfriend forward encouragingly. "I'll be okay here."

"Are you sure, Nams?" Roxas asks with a smile that teeters between pity and excitement.

"I don't want you spending every moment of this vacation trapped inside this castle," Naminé reasons. Xion squirms uncomfortably at the similarity of their situations.

"Now go, have fun," she presses.

"What about you, Xi?" Roxas asks. "Do you want to come?"

From behind Roxas, Xion catches Axel looking at her with pursed lips and a neutral expression. With much regret, she kindly declines Roxas' offer.

"I… I shouldn't," she says dejectedly. "Naminé and I will be okay here. We can check out the spa, right?"

Naminé offers Xion a kind nod to assure Roxas that everything could and would run smoothly on their end.

"All right," Roxas says half-heartedly. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"What about you, Hayner?" Pence asks, eyes hopeful. "Will you be joining them?"

"Nah," comes the expected reply. "I've got to practice for the upcoming Alliance of the Ancients competition this week. Peace out hoes."

Pence sighs as his best friend exits the premises with nothing but a peace sign in the air.

* * *

On the west sector of the island, located right beside the Disney Town Shoppes, sits The Pier amusement park built atop the island's largest steel pier complete with delicious—albeit incredibly oily—funnel cakes, countless prize stands galore, and thrilling rides that could send almost any teen to the brink of cardiac arrest. As the island's largest amusement park, The Pier reached its maximum capacity almost daily, but as the island's beloved sweepstakes winners, the residents of the Disney Castle were admitted with their fast passes without question.

As Kairi, Olette, Axel and Roxas make their way down the fast lane for one of the park's busiest hanging coasters, teens in the slow lane begin whispering amongst themselves whilst pointing in the group's general direction.

"The hell are you all looking at?" Axel asks pointedly, catching a few gossipers off guard.

"N-nothing," one of them stammers.

"Do you mind cutting it out then?" Kairi asks with a sweet tone. "It's not polite to stare."

"Sure," the same teen stammers. Then, after a subtle a cough, "Your highness."

Kairi freezes and turns to look at the group of snickering teenagers.

"What did you just say?" she asks, face impassive.

Another teen, one more pimplier than the one from earlier, scratches the back of his head with a smirk. "Nothing."

Angered at the boy's lack of honesty, Kairi walks towards him with abrupt strides.

"Look, if you have something to say about me, you should say it to my face," she deadpans. Teens surrounding the boy in question step back and "ooh" as if their friend had just been called to the principle's office.

"Kairi," Roxas says with a worried tone. Now he remembered why Sora admired her so much. While other shied away from confrontation, she faced it head on regardless of the outcome. He then places a supportive hand on Kairi's shoulder and pleads her to back off while she still can. "Just let it go."

"It's like you said," Axel continues. "It's just some stupid TV show."

"You should listen to Lover Boy," the obnoxious teen advises as Kairi narrows her eyes. "He knows what he's talking about." It suddenly becomes Axel's turn to get riled up.

"Lover Boy?" he squeaks incredulously. "Listen here, you little buttsack," the pyromaniac starts, his hands gripping the railings of the fence separating the regular lane from the fast lane. "You don't know a single thing about me, and while you spend the rest of your afternoon waiting to get on this thirty second ride, I get to walk right by, so you can suck my ass."

The teen merely blinks twice at Axel's random outburst.

"Come on guys," the redhead then mumbles while throwing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Let's dip."

"Actually," Kairi starts. She looks towards the end of the line and gulps as her hands, which were previously balled into fists, slacken and fall to her sides. "You go ahead."

Axel's jaw nearly drops. Some sort of redhead telepathy allows him into her mind for just a few moments.

"You're not actually thinking of waiting in this lineup, are you?" the pyromaniac asks. "It's _at least_ a two hour wait. You don't need to prove anything to these guys, Kairi."

When his fellow redhead doesn't budge, Axel grabs Roxas by the arm and pulls him towards the front of the line.

"Fine, suit yourself," he says. "Have fun, princess."

As Axel drags his best friend away, the latter mouths an apology to Kairi.

"You can go ahead with them," Kairi tells Olette who has yet to leave her side, but instead of running after the dynamic duo, her roommate's feet remained planted on the ground.

"You chose me to come on this vacation with you," the brunette explains. "So I'm not going anywhere without you, Kairi."

And just when Kairi smiles—truly smiles—for the first time that day, Sora comes running towards her with two cotton candies in hand.

"Hey girls," he starts breathlessly. "I got you two cotton candies in case the fast lane also had a wait time."

"Wow, not only were you incapable of waiting in line, but you even had the help at your castle follow you around and get you cotton candy?" a different teen calls out. "Princess alert!"

Sora gasps at the accusations. "What? No, you guys don't understand! She didn't ask for these! I willingly gave these to her!"

"You don't need to lie for her, Sora!" a fangirl shouts amidst the crowd. "We like you better with Riku anyway!"

As shouts of agreement follow, a red-faced Sora turns to a disappointed looking Kairi.

"Hey," he starts softly. "Don't listen to them. You know you're not the kind of princess they claim you to be. Here," Sora then offers Kairi one of the cotton candy cones. "Have some! It'll make you feel better."

"Thanks, Sora," Kairi murmurs as she accepts the treat. "If you're looking for me, I'll just be at the back of the line."

Sora and Olette share a look before deciding to follow Kairi to the end of the line.

It's the longest two hours she's ever had to wait.

* * *

Back at the Disney Castle, Riku hums tunelessly to himself as he walks down the third floor hallway with his cleaning kit in hand. Just as he turns the corner to the east wing, the sound of muffled electronic dance music interrupts his current tune and causes him to frown. Who could possibly be playing music so loud that it even made the knights in the hallway shake?

Riku's questions are answered when he arrives at Hayner's door. The east wing was always a subject of dread for both Riku and Sora for numerous reasons, but each reason happened to come from the same person. With a reluctant groan, Riku inserts the key card to Hayner's room and pushes it open, fully expecting another pile of used tissues, but he is luckily mistaken.

The gamer's room, which was previously a girly rendition of Aurora's chambers, had suddenly transformed into a man cave equipped with a mini fridge, a foosball table, a one-hundred inch plasma screen TV with surround sound speakers, and gaming systems galore. The walls, which used to be a pale pink, were now navy blue with poorly taped posters donning each side, and in the center stood a life-sized version of Captain America's shield encased in a glass podium.

"Wha…" is Riku's initial reaction. "Where the hell did all this come from?"

Hayner, who sits on his new leather couch in front of the plasma screen, answers without tearing his eyes off the screen.

"Used all my complementary munny on renovating my room and having people drag in the goods," he says.

"Two thousand munny got you all this?" Riku asks with disbelief.

"No no," Hayner answers. "Two thousand munny just got me the glass podium for Cap's shield. The rest was from my MeTube fund."

"And you chose to spend it on renovating a room that you'll only be in for the next two months?" Riku asks while admiring the shield in all its vibranium glory.

"Well I wasn't about to spend all my time here living like Malibu Barbie," Hayner points out.

"Was the shield really necessary though?" Riku asks. "It's sick, but still."

"Contractor wouldn't let me renovate the room unless it had something Disney-related," the gamer explains. "So voila. Cap shield."

"And… what?" Riku squeaks when his eyes land on the corner of Hayner's room. "Is that a stripper pole?"

"It's a fire escape!" the gamer argues.

Riku only manages to shake his head. He suddenly finds himself wondering what it would be like to venture into the obsessive mind of the teenager before him but thinks better of it in case he himself got sucked into the brink of despair. Instead, he chooses to leave the room and shuts the door behind him for a more productive use of his time. The room next to Hayner's always proved to be a much easier task.

Riku raps his knuckles against the door and receives no response. After a second round, there's still no response, so Riku inserts the key card only to find Xion lying on her teacup bed with her earphones plugged in.

"Oh," Riku says as the owner of the room sits up and unplugs her ears. "Sorry. You didn't answer the door so I thought the room was empty."

"It's fine," Xion answers, but Riku can't help but notice how pale and weak she looks in comparison to earlier.

"You didn't go with them to The Pier?" Riku asks as he sets his cleaning kit down.

"Nah," Xion answers, feigning disinterest. "Not my scene."

Riku crosses his arms with suspicion. He'd caught her joking around with Axel in the castle a few times. She seemed like the fun-loving type.

"I didn't see you leave for the welcoming party either," he then points out. "Why haven't you left the castle, Xion?"

Xion turns slightly red at his concern. She had no idea that someone else apart from Naminé noticed her lack of outdoor exposure.

It also didn't hurt that that someone was very easy on the eyes.

"Sorry," she then says. Realistically, she'd only met Riku three days ago. "You have to be at least a level five friend to unlock my tragic backstory."

As a sign of persistence, Riku walks over to Xion's lounge and pulls over a mushroom-shaped beanbag chair to the edge of her bed and sits on it.

"Come on, Xion. You can tell me," he assures.

"Why, because it's your job?" Xion asks bitterly. "I don't think your funtertaining services are required for this one, Riku."

Xion is surprised when Riku refuses to budge.

"I'm not asking you because it's my job," he says calmly. "I'm asking you because a) I don't want to do my job and clean, and b) I'm curious to know why someone like yourself would rather lock yourself in here doing the things you can do back home rather than having fun out there."

Xion turns her head and looks towards her balcony doors with a longing expression—a gesture that doesn't go by unnoticed by Riku. She thinks about telling him, and the more she does, the more she wants him to know. Apart from immediate family, the only people that knew were Roxas and Axel, and all of the above thought trapping her in a cage was best for her condition.

Xion sighs. It's not like she was going anywhere, and her life was going to be over soon anyway. What did she have to lose? She then turns to look at Riku with a heavy heart.

"It's called geostigma," she starts solemnly.

Riku's expression suddenly hardens. She needn't continue. He was born into a generation of doctors. He already knew. He'd heard of it before. He knew what it entailed. He mentally berates himself for pestering her about it. He didn't mean to trigger something so serious.

"I'd… I'd tell you I'm sorry, but you've probably heard it all before," Riku decides to say. Xion only nods. "How long?"

"I'm considered lucky if I'm not a total vegetable within three years," Xion answers. Riku inhales sharply. That was much shorter than he expected.

"Does Axel know?" Riku asks.

Xion nods weakly. "Him and Roxas are the only other ones who know."

"And what do they want to do about it?"

Xion twiddles her thumbs, refusing to look Riku in the eye.

"Well, they wanted to use their share of the Battle of the Bands' prize munny on the treatments my mother couldn't afford," she explains. Then, after a contemplative silence: "wouldn't afford," she corrects.

Riku's fists noticeably clench at his thighs. "And what do they mean to do now?"

"Well, because of my… condition…" Xion carefully words, "Axel think its best I stay inside so that I'm not exposed to anything that could make it, well, worse than it already is."

Riku noticeably shakes his head in disapproval. "And Roxas?"

"He tries to make the inside more… bearable," Xion answers.

Unable to contain his anger, Riku jumps from his seat and walks towards Xion's balcony doors. He places a slightly shaky hand on the doorknob and, slowly but surely, unlocks it. He pushes the double doors aside and welcomes the warmth of the sun on his face, the sound of laughter from below, and the feeling of summer freedom that the wind before him promised.

This is what Xion is missing out on. She may have been trapped indoors like Naminé and Hayner, but the former feared the outdoors and the latter simply condemned himself to a summer full of video games and sugary energy drinks. Geostigma may have been merciless, but it didn't strike fast unless provoked, which meant that at her current state, Xion was fully capable of doing what she wished.

The sight of a young woman halfway down the bridge storming towards the castle suddenly catches his eye. Even from his current distance her vibrant red hair can't be missed, and the fact that she is so easily admitted past the gates only confirms Riku's suspicions that it really is Kairi hastily making her way inside. No more than thirty seconds behind her, two brunettes, one neatly groomed (presumably Olette) and the other with unruly spikes (undoubtedly Sora), follow suit.

Riku then turns his sights to the girl sitting at the edge of her bed with her head hung low. He can see a great deal of himself within her: alone, supposedly left by her two greatest friends, but unlike Axel and Roxas, Riku didn't want to focus on the end. He may have had a playboy persona to upkeep and satisfy over the course of the summer, but the Riku Sora and Kairi were more familiar with would try to make the next two and a half months worthwhile and memorable for the girl in the castle given that it could very well be her third last alive.

"Riku?" Xion calls.

The teen outside snaps out of his daze, suddenly realizing how long he must have been staring at her during his decision making. His eyes then dart back and forth between the girl and the open doors.

There was no reason he couldn't do both.

* * *

At the castle foyer, Sora and Olette split paths.

"I'll take the west wing, you take the east?" the latter asks, already acting on her game plan.

"Got it," Sora agrees as he playfully salutes his ex-girlfriend's roommate. After a few long strides, he eagerly opens the doors to the dining hall and makes his way to the kitchen.

After waiting in line for the hanging coaster ride that lasted no longer than two minutes in comparison to the two-hour wait, Kairi had run off to the one place she knew how to get to on the rather large island to escape the whispers: the castle. For ten minutes he and Olette trailed behind her, pushing through the gossiping crowds, and now found themselves searching for her in their temporary home. Sora, however, already knew where she'd be. It was the reason he so hastily agreed to search in the east wing, after all. When Kairi was upset, there was only one thing she could turn to apart from him and Riku that could instantly tame her sadness.

Sora stands before the freezer door within seconds. He whistles nonchalantly and paces with his hands behind his back as the kitchen crew walks by him with strange looks, but when the coast is clear, he pulls open the door and finds Kairi sitting cross-legged on the ground with an open tub of sea-salt ice cream on her lap and a spoon in hand.

"Hey," Sora greets as he cautiously approaches her.

"Hey," she mumbles, mouth half-full of creamy goodness. Sora wordlessly takes the spot next to her and grabs a spoon from the rack behind him.

"Do you mind?" he asks while gesturing his spoon towards the large tub. Kairi merely turns the tub towards him as an act of compliance. After a few minutes of silently enjoying their frozen treat, the ears of both teens perk upward when they hear a clicking sound by the door.

"What was that?" Kairi asks fearfully, her grip tightening on her spoon.

"Not sure," Sora says, eyes skittish as he sets his utensil down. He stands up, dusts off his shorts, and reaches for the handle only to find it locked in place. He blinks twice in confusion before trying again to no avail. After a few more failed attempts, he begins shaking the handle uncontrollably.

"Sora?" Kairi squeaks. With one hand still on the handle, the brunet turns to look at her with a sheepish grin.

"So I think we're kind of… locked in," he confesses.

" _What_?" Kairi shrieks. She sets the tub aside and begins shaking the handle in the same fashion that Sora had tried only moments ago. "You know what? I have a better idea," Kairi proposes as she reaches for her skirt pocket. She pulls out her phone only to have it betray her entirely.

"No signal?" she reads with disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Me neither," Sora says while checking his own phone.

"Don't you have any of those… walkie-talkie things?" Kairi asks desperately. "The ones you use to communicate with Riku? A master key card to open the door? Anything?"

Sora searches his pockets and emerges empty-handed.

"All right, looks like we're going to have to do this the old-fashioned way," Kairi decides as she cracks her knuckles. She then begins banging on the door and screaming as loud as she possibly can. "Hello? Is anybody out there? Help us please! Help! Help!"

When Kairi turns around to ask her partner for help, she finds him sitting back down and feasting on the tub of ice cream with a smile.

"Sora, are you being serious right now?" she asks with disbelief. "Do you understand what's going on? We're trapped in here with absolutely no forms of communication whatsoever!"

Her ex-boyfriend merely shrugs, spoon in hand. "I'm simply choosing to look at the other facts, Kairi. I don't know about you, but we're surrounded by tubs of ice cream and are free to feast on said tubs for the time being. If you ask me, that sounds like a pretty good way to die."

Kairi rolls her eyes and continues banging on the door. Typical Sora. Always trying to see the good in everything despite the consequences.

"Kairi, relax," Sora advises after ten minutes of door banging. "Someone's going to open the door eventually." He then glances at his watch. "It's five oh four. The kitchen crew has to start prepping for dinner soon anyways. Just take a seat."

"I can't," Kairi says, her voice wavering. "We have to get out of here, we have to try…"

"Kairi," Sora asks tiredly. She only continues to hammerfist the steel door, each hit becoming slower and weaker than the last.

"We have to… get out… of here," she whimpers, and once her whines transition into sobs, Sora gets up from his spot and grabs her by the wrists before she can continue abusing the door.

"Jeez Kairi, I didn't think you hated being with me that much," Sora jokes, trying to lighten the mood. Kairi merely sniffles in response. "This… isn't about being trapped in here with me, is it?" Sora asks. Kairi slowly shakes her head. "Come here," Sora says as he leads her back to her corner of the freezer.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this," Kairi says in between hiccups. "If you hadn't run after me you would've have been trapped in here."

"Hey, it's not your fault," Sora assures. "This was my choice. Besides, I've always wanted to be trapped in a freezer full of ice cream. This is like a dream come true for me, honestly."

His joke is rewarded with a smile, but it is short-lived.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this," Kairi whimpers. "The whispers didn't bother me at first, but after a while they just…"

"Got to you?" Sora finishes. When Kairi nods, Sora throws his head back to rest against the cool rails. "I can't blame you for feeling that way, Kairi. Anyone would," he assures. "You don't need to care about what they think. They don't matter. It's like you said: it's just some stupid show. They don't know who you really are."

"And who's to say they know who I am?" Kairi asks. "Sometimes I don't even know who I am. One second I'm this tough cookie and in the next I'm this blubbering baby."

Sora knowingly shakes his head. It was always like Kairi to act tough for everyone's sake but her own, and he was honoured to be one of the select few that saw her softer side.

"I… I think I know who you are," he then says, his voice barely above a whisper. From his peripheral vision, he sees Kairi turn to look at him with misty eyes and a curious expression.

"You're a perfectionist," Sora starts. "A straight A student, the hardest working person I know. You like strawberry milkshakes with extra whip and fries with spicy mayo on the side," he continues. "You're a tier one gold belt in the Keyblade Arts, a volleyball whiz, and are an absolute monster in the water. Like seriously, sometimes I think you're secretly a waterbender."

Sora grins when he sees Kairi chuckle beside him. Their shoulders brush for a brief moment, and for the first time in their freezer debacle, a rush of familiar warmth overwhelms them both.

"You're a mean Call of Destiny sniper," Sora continues. "Your favourite scent is warm vanilla sugar, and you never miss an opportunity to punch someone's shoulder every time you spot a yellow punch buggy." Then, with a heavy sigh, "You also like to put everyone's feelings and thoughts above your own at the expense of your own happiness."

Kairi gives him a look that tells him that she's unsure whether to take his latest statement as a compliment or an insult.

"It's certainly not a bad thing," Sora clarifies. "Sure, it sucks that you're a little too hard on yourself, but putting other people before yourself is an admirable quality. It's… one of the things I find so great about you," Sora confesses.

In attempts to conceal her upcoming blush, Kairi hugs her legs with a flattered smile. If the effect sea-salt ice cream had on her could be condensed into human form, it would undoubtedly be Sora. He always knew what to say in times of trouble and had a way of making even the rainiest situations a beautiful day. It was one of the things she found so great about him.

"I'm sorry I've been such a wiatch," Kairi confesses when she finally looks Sora in the eye. "I've been nothing but mean and evasive towards you these last few days because seeing you that first day overwhelmed me, and I didn't know how to act around you, so… I just wanted to say sorry."

Sora accepts the apology with a welcoming smile.

"I'm sorry I tried forcing my romantic intentions on you right away," Sora then apologizes in return. "That was pretty inconsiderate of me considering how long we've been apart and how soon you got to the resort, so I'm… also sorry."

The two almost laugh at loud at the awkward silence that follows. In all their years growing up together, the air between them had never been so uncomfortable. Time after time, they had always been side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder as they were now, whether it was at the park bench near Sora's house or in the school hallway eating lunch by their lockers. Now, on the supposed happiest place on earth for teenagers everywhere, they were shoulder-to-shoulder but felt miles apart.

"Is there a way for us to just… start over?" Kairi suggests. "Not from the _very_ beginning, but just as…"

"Friends?" Sora finishes with a hopeful smile. When the word becomes less foreign to her, Kairi warms up to the idea with a nod.

"Yeah," she agrees, "I don't see why we can't be friends."

Then, just as if she had uttered the magic words, the freezer door suddenly opens to reveal Riku on the other side with crossed arms.

"Finally," he says with a smirk very evident on his face. "I was almost thinking I had to freeze you guys to death."

"Riku!" Sora greets, obviously paying no mind to the latter half of his statement.

"How long have you been standing there?" Kairi asks as she walks past the third pea in their pod.

"Like fifteen minutes," Riku confesses, earning him a playful arm jab.

"You can be such a jerk sometimes," Kairi says.

"So are you two finally friends now or what?" Riku asks. Kairi then turns to look at Sora in the freezer who still appears to be finishing the last of the ice cream in the tub. For a moment their eyes lock and Sora flashes her his signature grin, and in that moment Kairi figures that perhaps the summer wouldn't be as bad as she initially thought it would be.

"Yeah," Kairi answers when Sora finally walks out of the freezer to join them. "We are."

**tbc**

* * *

**Fun fact:** Captain America is my favourite Avenger. Kind of explains Hayner's choice of décor, no? However, The Guardians of the Galaxy are my absolute favourite. Drax may be my spirit animal.


	6. the teenage bucket list

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
VI | the teenage bucket list

* * *

In the Deep Jungle (otherwise known as Axel's home away from home for the next few weeks), a half-naked blonde rolls off the shirtless redhead and onto her back with a loud exhale. Beside the young woman, Axel lets out a low chuckle before running a hand through his—now—messy spikes.

"Good?" he asks while turning to face his companion with a haughty smirk.

"Meh, you were all right," she answers nonchalantly.

Axel shakes his head with amusement. "Really? Judging by how heavy you're breathing I'd say I was more than all right."

"Don't flatter yourself," the blonde says while scavenging the sheets for her discarded clothing.

"Leaving already?" Axel says as she pulls on her shirt.

"Believe it or not, I do see other people apart from you," his companion answers.

"Is that supposed to make me jealous?" Axel asks as he sits up to plant a kiss on the young woman's bare shoulder.

"No," she replies. "Was that bit about that Xion girl on TV supposed to make me jealous?"

Axel lets out a laugh. "Did that bother you? Cause you know, that would put a dent on our little arrangement here, Larxene."

The 'Larxene' character scoffs as she pulls on her socks. "Bothered? Please. I was just curious. Didn't think she was your type. Too… innocent looking."

"Xion's like a little sister to me," Axel explains. "You have nothing to be worried about."

"I wasn't worried in the first place," Larxene retorts.

"Sure you weren't," Axel whispers. He inches his face closer to hers only to have her place a finger to his lips before pushing herself off the slide connected to the edge of Axel's bed. She gracefully lands on the first floor of his room and waves farewell to the young man atop the supposed tree house.

"Bye, Axel," she says with a teasing edge to her voice.

Axel merely shakes his head with an amused grin. "See ya sweetheart."

Out in the hallway, Roxas nearly bumps into Axel's female companion.

"Oh, s-sorry!" Roxas stammers, red-faced at the presence of an unknown female leaving his best friend's bedroom. After a few seconds of shameless judging, Roxas manages to put the pieces together. He'd seen this girl before. There was something oddly familiar about the way she frowned…

"Bubblegum Bitch," he suddenly remembers with a whisper. He twitches at the uncomfortable memory from the plane.

"What the hell did you just say?" Larxene asks impatiently.

"Nothing!" Roxas squeaks. He brings out Axel's spare key card and enters his best friend's room without another word. Roxas catches the redhead just as he's throwing on his shirt.

"So who was that outside?" Roxas asks although he's pretty sure he already knows the answer.

"That was Larxene," Axel answers while sliding down from his tree house.

"A lady friend of yours I presume?" Roxas guesses.

"Old flame from university," Axel answers as his feet hit the ground. "Actually, scratch that. We weren't even close enough to constitute as partners. She was more like an… as-needed basis sort of flame. We just kinda… banged a lot after class."

"Then why'd the word flame come to mind?" Roxas asks suggestively.

Axel shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "Not sure. Just seemed to flow in the moment I guess, and you _are_ aware of my obsession with fire, right?"

"Sure," Roxas says, unconvinced. "So did you know she was coming to the island? How often do you… you know, see her?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Axel asks haughtily. He disregards Roxas' frown with a light chuckle. "But to answer your question, no, I didn't know. I just ran into her the other day and we've since resumed our… arrangement, I guess."

"Wow," comes Roxas' response. "Must be one hell of a gal for you to keep an arrangement this long."

"She is," Axel says. "I-In bed, I mean," he corrects when he notices Roxas' boyish smirk and raised eyebrows. "So where's your lady?" Axel suddenly asks to change the subject.

"In the art studio," Roxas answers. "She'll be preoccupied there for pretty much the whole day. Do you have any plans?"

"Thought about checking out that Alliance of the Ancients competition later today, but other than that, I'm all yours. What's up?"

"Just thought it would be good to get some workouts in," Roxas suggests. "You know, to improve my stamina for the Battle of the Bands performances? Although… I'm sure you've already had your share of cardio for today."

Axel merely snickers in agreement.

"Yeah, well, doesn't hurt to get more," he then says. "Meet you in the gym in ten."

"Got it," Roxas responds with an understanding nod.

As he takes his leave, he can't help but notice the lovestruck smile on Axel's face as he chooses more appropriate attire for the day's activities. Despite labeling her as his "as-needed basis sort of flame", Roxas had never seen Axel talk about a girl the way he spoke about Larxene. Even through their Skype calls, the slightest twinkle in his seductive green eyes was never present when he shared unwanted details about his sexual conquests throughout his first year of university.

At their current rate, Roxas knows that this supposed flame isn't going out anytime soon.

* * *

In the east wing of the third floor, in the middle of her morning routine, Xion hears her door burst open.

"Riku," she greets as she walks out of her bathroom and into her bedroom.

"We're going out today," Riku says.

"Uh…" Xion mumbles as she lets her hair down from the previous towel turban it was carefully wrapped in. "I'd love to, but Axel would never allow me to step out of the castle."

"Not if he doesn't know it's you," Riku points out. He then empties the rather large shopping bag in his hands onto her bed to reveal a selection of colourful clothing, wigs, and makeup. "Besides, he's far too focused on Battle of the Bands to even notice if you've left."

Xion places a hand to her mouth to both suppress a laugh and somewhat hide her reddened cheeks. Riku's plan was absolutely ridiculous—sweet, but ridiculous. "Where did you get all this stuff?"

"Snuck out this morning and stole a couple of things from the island's theatre department," Riku answers with nonchalance.

"And what exactly are we going to use it for in the grand scheme of things?" Xion questions.

"Well, you see," Riku starts while plopping himself down on one of the mushroom beanbag chairs. "Unlike Roxas and Axel, I personally don't want to focus on the end. I'm simply choosing to look at all the possibilities beforehand. With that being said, I was up all night making this." Riku then reaches into the pocket of his beige shorts and pulls out a neatly folded piece of lined paper.

"The teenage bucket list," Xion reads upon receiving it. She makes out about fifteen concrete ideas on the list that haven't been crossed out or scribbled across.

"It's still a work in progress," Riku confesses. "But those are just the ones I could think of last night."

"Riku…" Xion starts, her voice wavering and lip quivering. "This is wonderful. Thank you for this. You have no idea how much I appreciate it, but…"

"In my eighteen years of existence, I've never known anything good to come after the word 'but'," Riku interrupts.

"But I can't let you do this," Xion continues. "You have a job to do here, and I don't want to get in the way of that."

"The job listing was for a Funtertainer," Riku explains. "By doing this, I _am_ technically doing my job, so please. Let's try this."

"But why?" Xion asks as she sits at the edge of her bed. "You hardly know me. Why would you want to spend most of your summer with some girl at the end of the hallway?"

"Because apart from Roxas and Axel, I'm the only other one who knows," Riku answers. "And if I sit idly by and do nothing about it, I'll hate myself. I know there's much more to being a teenager than what's on that list, and I know three years is hardly enough time, but I want you to be able to experience the awkwardness and embarrassment of it all with the time you're given." Riku then stands up from the beanbag chair and sits next to Xion on the edge of her teacup bed. "I have an entire lifetime of people to disappoint, but I only get two months with you, Xi, so I'm doing this."

Xion's grip tightens on the list as she shuts her eyes and exhales. "Would I be incredibly selfish if I accepted?"

"Not if I offered in the first place," Riku replies. "Besides, being selfish is an essential part of being a teenager. You just gotta do things for yourself sometimes—but not all the time of course, otherwise you'd be labeled an asshole."

Xion chuckles amidst teary eyes at the joke.

"Okay," she then says. "Okay. We're doing this."

"Awesome. Did you read the first thing on the list?" Riku then asks.

"One: full makeover," Xion reads.

"Yeah. That was standard in pretty much every chick flick I've suffered through with Kairi, so... um… do you by any chance know how to use this… stuff?" Riku then asks, clearly referring to the makeup.

This time round, Xion freely releases her chuckle. "Look, I know I'm not much of a catch, but I'm not a total dud. I am capable of gussying up every now and then."

"So in other words, you're going to watch MeTube tutorials," Riku says knowingly, seeing through his companion completely.

"Pretty much," Xion admits shamelessly.

"Um, good," Riku mutters, unsure of what would constitute as a proper response. "Let's get to it then."

* * *

In the first floor of the west wing, Kairi and Olette try their hand at tennis against Roxas and Axel in the castle's gymnasium. The latter team was currently in the lead, but not by a landslide as the former was putting up quite a fight.

"You know, you two are much quicker than I thought," Axel confesses to the girls after they'd agreed on a well-deserved five-minute break.

"Well what do you know, P.E. class does come in handy sometimes," Olette jokes.

"Right, right, you two go to that prissy boarding school in Radiant Garden," Axel recalls.

"Axel," Roxas warns after downing his water bottle.

"What? I'm just pointing out the facts," Axel says. "Is it true that you all get a butler that serves you caviar 24/7?"

"Yes," Kairi answers with clear sarcasm. "He also serves us cans of whoop ass, which we're about to serve you in this next half."

"Oh ho ho!" Axel cheers. "Big talk for such a little girl! You're on princess."

"Do you mind if I join?" a familiar voice interjects. At the entrance of the gymnasium, Tidus Clearwater walks towards the group coincidentally dressed in tennis attire and a matching blue racquet in hand. Behind the two boys, Kairi and Olette begin to giggle amongst each other.

"Hm, I don't know man," Roxas starts teasingly. "It was already unfair for these ladies to go against someone of our caliber."

"Roxas," Kairi then says through gritted teeth.

Tidus chuckles heartily. "I'll be on their team then. Three against two?"

"Make that two against two," Olette says while hanging her racquet back in place. "I'm pretty beat."

"What?" Kairi nearly screams. "Olette, please."

"Have fun," the brunette says in a singsong voice before taking a seat on the sidelines.

"Looks like its me and you," Tidus voices while offering Kairi a kind smile.

"Yeah," Kairi says while resisting the urge to hug her elbow like a lovestruck schoolgirl in the presence of her childhood crush. "Guess so."

On the other side of the net, Axel and Roxas snicker while taking their positions. The second half commences, but Kairi is oddly slower this time round. She misses shots she normally wouldn't, and her footwork is sloppy. Olette notices.

"What's wrong, princess?" Axel taunts. "This can of whoop ass appears to be very undercooked!"

"Sorry Tidus," Kairi apologizes to her partner, red-faced. "I just haven't worked on my swing in a while. I'm a little rusty."

Olette's eyebrows rise at the word "rusty".

"That's no problem," Tidus assures. "Do you want me to give you a few pointers?"

"Really? That would be great," Kairi says through a grateful smile that is undoubtedly fake.

After Tidus asks for a timeout, he positions himself behind Kairi and guides her arm into a proper swing—the same swing that Kairi was perfectly fully capable of executing no more than ten minutes ago. When their small audience gets the gist of what's really happening, they unsuccessfully try to conceal their disapproving chuckles.

The game resumes, and after Kairi supposedly gets her swing back, Roxas hits the ball out of bounds on her side. Just as Kairi walks over to pick up the ball, it rolls onto the bottom of a familiar yellow sneaker. She looks up to find Sora smirking down at her with a tray of iced teas in one hand.

"What?" she grunts under her breath.

"You know, it's actually more attractive if you try," Sora advises as he kicks the ball upward into his free hand.

"What would you know about it?" Kairi asks while attempting to swipe the ball from his hand, but Sora is too quick and moves it out of her reach while keeping the drinks in perfect balance.

"I happen to be a guy," Sora answers. "And there's absolutely no need to downgrade yourself for a guy, Kai. Just saying."

He tosses the ball into the air and Kairi manages to catch it, through ungracefully. Sora then sets the tray of drinks down beside Olette, who acknowledges his gesture with an appreciative nod, and begins to walk towards the entrance empty handed. With skittish eyes, Kairi reassumes her position on the court, but instead of aiming the ball towards Axel's side, she 'accidentally' aims for the back of Sora's retreating figure. She expects it to hit him square in the neck, but he turns around fast enough to catch it right before it whizzes past his head.

"Challenge accepted," he says, his grip noticeably tightening on the ball.

Kairi merely smirks at Sora's willingness to accept her invitation.

Sora then walks over to Roxas' side and his cousin wordlessly hands over his racquet without question. If there was someone who was fully aware of Sora and Kairi's obsession with competition, it was him. Axel and Tidus also leave the court out of respect, and once the tips of their sneakers pass the boundaries, the court transforms into a war zone.

Sora doesn't hold back serving the ball, but Kairi strikes back with equal fervor, and soon enough, the heads of Olette, Roxas, Tidus, and Axel move left and right in synchronicity as they watch the two go at each other and forget about their existence completely. Kairi's tennis grunts turn into full on battle cries, and Sora's gasps for air eventually transition into yells.

Eternity passes, but it is an eternity well spent. At the end of their rallying, Tidus approaches Kairi with loud applause.

"Whoa, rusty my ass!" he compliments. "Where did that come from? That was great!"

"Guess I just needed to loosen up a bit," Kairi confesses.

From the corner of her eye, she catches Sora mouth the words "I told you so" while Roxas offers him a back massage. Kairi merely rolls her eyes and is about to resume her conversation with Tidus until two retreating figures in the corner of the gymnasium catch her eye. She's able to make out Riku as one of them.

"Hey, Riku!" she hollers. He noticeably flinches before turning towards her with the fakest of smiles.

"Hey Kairi," he greets. "What's going on?"

"You just missed Sora get obliterated," Kairi informs.

"What?" Sora yells defensively. "I did not!"

Riku merely chuckles at their childish antics. He'd grown far too used to it over the years. "I see some things never change."

"And some do," Roxas interjects with a surprised and curious look on his face. "Riku, who's this?"

At 'this', a lavender-eyed, blue-haired girl dressed in a black and white sundress nervously peers at everyone behind Riku's shoulder.

"Oh… this?" Riku asks calmly. "This is…" He wracks his brain for an answer, thinking of a new identity for the girl at the end of the hallway. It's then that he remembers the mushroom beanbag chairs in her Wonderland-themed room and claps his hands together.

"Alice," he finally answers. "This is Alice. She's a girl I'm… seeing."

"Seeing," Sora repeats with suspicion as 'Alice' turns slightly red. "Sure."

Kairi elbows Sora (who lets out a pained groan) and offers Alice her hand out of common courtesy.

"Nice to meet you, Alice. I'm Kairi," the redhead introduces. "This is Sora, Olette, Tidus, Roxas, and—"

"Axel Kiryu," the pyromaniac himself introduces. "Get that name memorized, because you'll be—"

"Never seeing him again!" Roxas finishes before his best friend can finish his signature line. Axel crosses his arms and growls at the unexpected interruption.

"Yeah… we're gonna be heading out now," Riku says amidst the awkward silence.

"Oh! Where to?" Sora asks out of sheer curiosity and naiveté. "Theatres? Mini golf? Waterpar—"

" _To make out somewhere_ ," Riku answers abruptly in hopes to shut his best friend up.

Sora immediately turns red and begins to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh… haha… that sounds… good. You should… um… get to it then?"

Kairi then pulls on Sora's arm and begins to drag him away along with everyone else. "Sora, we should just… yeah, come on…"

"I promise we'll be normal the next time you see us!" Roxas assures when they're halfway across the gymnasium.

" _If_ you see us!" Axel screams. "This guy brings home a new girl every week! But don't worry, I'll gladly be here for all your rebounding nee—mmph!"

"Oh my God…" Riku says as Roxas forcefully drags his best friend away with a hand over his mouth.

"It's okay," 'Alice' assures. "Let's go."

On the other side of the gymnasium, Roxas finally releases his hand from Axel's mouth.

"She was hot," is the first thing the redhead says.

"Axel!" Roxas exclaims disapprovingly.

"What?" the pyromaniac asks defensively. "She was."

* * *

"Well that was sufficiently awkward," Riku confesses as he speeds through the resort roads in his employee golf cart. "I'm sorry that happened. The gym has the only exit to my cart but I had no idea there would actually be people in there. Who the hell actually works out on summer vacation anyways?"

Beside him, Xion giggles into the palm of her hand as the summer wind blows through her—now—midnight blue hair.

"Don't even worry about it," she assures. "Besides, I can't deny that it was possibly one of the most entertaining life experiences I've had."

"Yeah… let's hope we top that this summer," Riku mutters.

"So what exactly are we doing?" Xion asks as a parking lot comes into view.

"Why don't you check number two on the list?" Riku suggests. Xion then pulls the slip of paper from her dress pocket.

"Number two: learn to drive," she reads.

"Yet another significant milestone for most teenagers," Riku explains as he pulls into a vacant spot in the parking lot. "But since I don't have my car and we're not old enough to rent one, I figured that go karts would suffice."

It's then that Xion notices the winding track up ahead with cars zipping through at a remarkably fast pace.

"Whoa," she breathes at the magnificent sight. "Axel would never let me do this."

"Axel would never let _Xion_ do this," Riku specifies as they walk towards the lineup. He then presents the entrance to her with a flourish. "Alice can do as she pleases."

Xion chuckles at the name he'd made for her and begins to walk through the fast pass lineup. As they wait in line, Riku watches as Xion admires the cars with both fear and anticipation in her eyes and suddenly becomes more aware of the former the moment he feels the ground rumble due to the cars' incredible speed. It seemed like a good idea in his room in the middle of the night, but now that he was physically in the space, he realized just how much danger this activity could potentially bring to Xion. If something were to ever happen to her…

It would be his fault entirely.

She then takes a helmet from the rack, but before she can strap it on, Riku forcefully grabs onto the other side, holding the piece of protective gear in place between them.

"Wait," he pleads. "Um… I'm just now realizing something."

"What?" Xion asks fearfully.

"I never asked if you were okay with any of this," Riku realizes. "I kind of just… pleaded you to go with it without bothering to ask for permission."

"Riku," Xion starts reassuringly.

"A-Are you okay with this? You're not… frightened, are you? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…" he stammers as another car zips past them uncontrollably. If only Sora and Kairi could see him now: the great playboy Riku, nothing more than a stammering mess before the girl at the end of the hallway.

"Riku," Xion repeats, silencing him this time. "I'm more scared that you _won't_ let me do this, honestly."

At this, Riku's grip on the helmet slackens, and Xion willingly accepts the helmet with a craving for adventure in her lavender eyes.

"I'm choosing to do this, all right?" Xion assures as she places the helmet on her head. "I'm doing this for me."

Riku grins and helps her tighten the strap on her chin himself. "All right."

"So are you done with your little moment here or what?" the worker at the front of the line asks impatiently, ruining whatever they had left of said moment. "Seriously, are you two about to bang for the first time or something? Get a move on already."

While Xion bites back a laugh, Riku pushes through with an annoyed expression.

"We're going, we're going, sheesh," he mutters under his breath as he takes his rightful place in the passenger's seat while Xion plops down beside him in the driver's.

"Right pedal to accelerate, left to break, steering wheel to steer," Riku tries to explain, but all Xion can focus on is the hum of the engine, the smell of gasoline, and the colour of Riku's viridian eyes.

"... and try not to bump into anyone, got it?" Riku asks when Xion tunes back into reality.

"Sure," she lies.

"Then let's give it a go," Riku suggests. "On the count of three. One..."

"Twothree!" Xion exclaims, and they're off.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter Inspirations:** _Run_ by COIN.

**Fun fact:** This chapter was supposed to be much longer, but I've decided to split it in half due to how dialogue heavy this chapter suddenly became! Sorry not sorry. That just means more room for fun in the next chapter.


	7. a tasty meatball

**Background Information:**

**OTHER**

**Flappy Chocobo:** A colossal waste of time, otherwise known as Flappy Bird.

For your reference, here is the list of bands competing in Battle of the Bands:

 **The Oathkeepers:** The band consisting of lead singer Roxas Akiyama, drummer Axel Kiryu, lead guitarist Sora Takeuchi, bassist Riku Kenbishi and keyboard synthesizer Hayner Arundel.

 **The Advent Children:** The band consisting of Zack, Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie.

 **Crystal Stasis:** The band consisting of Snow, Serah, Hope, Vanille and Fang.

 **The Brotherhood:** The band consisting of Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto.

 **The Organization:** The band consisting of Larxene, Demyx, Marluxia, Luxord, Xigbar and Zexion.

 **The Noize:** The band consisting of Neku, Shiki, Joshua, Beat and Rhyme.

 **SeeD:** The band consisting of Squall/Leon, Rinoa, Quistis, Zell and Irvine.

 **Furaifer:** The band consisting of Seifer, Fuujin and Raijin.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
VII | a tasty meatball

* * *

In the downtown core of Kingdom Hearts Island Resort sits Arcadia: a four-floor entertainment center complete with multiple movie theatres, countless high-tech attractions and simulations, a vast selection of retro and modern arcade games and consoles, junk food and energy drinks galore, and three indoor amphitheaters that housed and broadcasted the islands' most popular gaming competitions worldwide.

On the second floor of the complex, Hayner, Pence, Kairi, Axel, and Sora stand in line for the first qualifying round of Alliance of the Ancients, the former of the five cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"Hmm," Hayner hums as he approaches the front of the line. "Do you know what I smell?"

"Aged cheese and desperation?" Sora asks. He's being fully serious.

"No my dear friend. Victory," Hayner whispers dramatically.

In the middle of the gaming center, ten computers face each other in a circular fashion but are currently occupied by only two competitors on opposing sides. Above them, six large screens broadcast the highlights of their current match, each carefully angled so that every gamer could witness the display of skill from a good vantage point. On the right hand side, two teens provide in-depth commentary for the match.

Minutes pass, and soon enough, the game is over. Teens applaud for the victor, a hooded figure with the gamer tag _A Tasty Meatball_ , and the commentators welcome him to the next round of the 1v1 division with high fives and congratulatory whistles.

"Are you going to enter the 5v5 division?" Pence asks as his best friend eagerly moves to the front of the line. "We'll gladly be part of your team."

"Sorry bud, but I'm a lone wolf," Hayner declines. "I can crush every guy I go against with me, myself, and I."

"Hey, who said anything about the competition being just guys?" Kairi asks with an authoritative hand on her hip.

"Yeah, girls are totally capable of being good at video games," Axel says a matter-of-factly.

"Thank you Axel," Kairi says with an appreciative nod.

"It's 'cause they're real good with their hands, if you know what I mean," Axel whispers with a discreet wink. The inappropriate comment goes by unnoticed.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" one of the commentators yells, effectively silencing the crowd. "Look who we have here! If it isn't Hayner Arundel: online alias CuTiePie! You've all heard of him, right?"

Hayner is welcomed to the supposed arena with cheers, whistles, and even some loving sighs. Axel scrunches his nose in confusion at the latter.

"What brings you to the Alliance of the Ancients competition?" asks the spiky-haired commentator.

"Same old, same old man," Hayner replies into the mic. "Just here to show my support and passion for online gaming."

"Seriously?" the commentator asks. Given the attitude that Hayner displayed online, he, alongside many viewers, expected a different answer entirely.

"Nah man," Hayner then admits truthfully. "I'm just here to crush some plebs!"

Deafening cheers sound at Hayner's confession, leaving Axel even more confused.

"So if I'm an asshole in the real world I'm just an asshole, but if you're an asshole in the gaming world you're an admired asshole?" Axel questions. "I'll never understand."

"We're on an island full of teenagers, Axel," Pence reminds. "I don't think we're meant to understand."

Hayner is then welcomed to the digital arena where he would soon meet the poor soul that would fall to his knees in defeat, but before his competitor is even introduced, Hayner crosses paths with _A Tasty Meatball_. The hooded figure pays him no mind as he passes through, and Hayner feels the air grow cold. Whoever this tasty meatball was, he felt like bad news.

 _Just some pre-game jitters,_ Hayner mentally insists. _Nothing more._

Hayner's competitor then enters the arena: a long-haired teen with the gamer tag LunaDiviner. The two shake hands.

"Good luck, have fun," LunaDiviner says out of common courtesy. Upon closer examination, Hayner can make out subtle hints of an X-shaped scar on the teen's forehead.

"You too," Hayner returns with a confident smirk. He then makes his way to his assigned computer and sets his backpack down on the gaming chair. He unzips his bag and proudly pulls out the contents: a high end gaming mouse, a chroma coloured wireless keyboard with silenced keys, a gaming headset, an energy drink and a fresh bag of chips. From the sidelines, Hayner catches a few professional cameras (Wakka inclusive) and teenagers recording his very presence on their phones and acknowledges both with a wink and a thumbs up gesture.

The familiar sound of the champion selection screen opening blares through the speakers, earning a few excited chants from the growing crowd, and Hayner cracks his knuckles in anticipation. He selects his character, leans back in his seat with his—now—opened bag of chips, haughtily waits for his opponent to choose his imminent doom, and within seconds, it's game time.

As their rather obnoxious housemate gets right to it, Axel, Pence, Sora and Kairi watch the calculated and intimidating display of skill from the sidelines with awe. It seemed that Hayner had a reason to be cocky after all.

Moments later, the crowd goes wild at Hayner's swift victory, but amidst the flailing arms and whistles, he can feel the piercing gaze of A Tasty Meatball watching him intently. He turns around, and surely enough, he watches as the mysterious hooded figure disappears into the crowd. Hayner raises an eyebrow in confusion, but before he can pursue the gamer, Sora hops over the railings and offers him a congratulatory bro shake.

"Woo! Yeah Hayner!" Sora cheers, but while going in for the shake, he unfortunately trips on a loose cable and falls clumsily into Hayner's arms. The latter immediately shakes him off and clears his throat while the former scratches the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Ten bucks Selphie manipulates this footage into a bromance," Pence calls out. Beside him, Axel already hands him the munny without a trace of doubt.

"You know what?" the lanky redhead starts. "I think I'm gonna get out of here before I get an unwanted love interest."

"Good call," Pence agrees, and the two disperse. While the pyromaniac heads for the snack bar, Pence snaps a few pictures of Hayner interacting with the crowd, and an ashamed Kairi helps Sora out of the arena.

When Axel reaches the back of the lineup at the snack bar, two other teens seated at the other side of the bar just receive their long awaited order.

"What is _that_?" Xion, still disguised as 'Alice', asks with disgust very evident on her face.

"A classic teen delicacy," Riku answers as he slides the bowl and all its gooey goodness in between them. "Mac and cheese mixed with ketchup."

Xion's lips part slightly in unpleasant surprise. "That sounds so gross. Why would anyone even try this combination?"

Riku raises two fingers in response. "One: because this is likely what's available when you're home alone and there's nothing left in the fridge, and two: our metabolisms are insane at this stage of life. Your body will never burn this monstrosity any faster than right now. You might as well take advantage of it while you can."

Xion reluctantly picks up a fork and pierces the first bit of food. She visibly twitches.

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," Riku insists while pointing at the milestone on the teenage bucket list.

"All right," Xion answers with a defeated sigh. She raises the fork, slowly places the contents into her mouth…

... and immediately spits it out the instant her taste buds react to the flavour.

* * *

Back in the digital arena, Sora, Kairi, Pence and Hayner exit into the arcade portion of the entertainment complex.

"All right, I've got an hour until the next round," Hayner announces. "What shall we do to kill the time?"

"Well if you ask me it's a no brainer," Kairi answers. Curious, the boys turn to look at her. "We're supposedly in the company of one of the best gamers in the world," Kairi clarifies. Sora smirks. Knowing their competitive nature, he knew exactly what she was getting at.

" _Supposedly_?" Hayner repeats incredulously. " _One of_? Are you questioning my skill, Kairi?"

"I'm merely challenging the credibility of your title," she replies.

Hayner punches his right fist into his opened left palm. "Oh it is _on,_ little girl. I'll give both of you fifty munny _each_ if you can beat me in _one game_ on this floor."

Sora and Kairi turn to look at each other and share a mental high five in agreement.

"Wait," Kairi says with a sudden realization. "What's in it for you?"

"The satisfaction of crushing more plebs," Hayner answers with a shrug. "I thought that was obvious."

"All right then," Sora says. "You're on."

They first try their hand at Flappy Chocobo: the simplest game in terms of mechanics.

"You see, Flappy Chocobo is more of a rhythm game," Sora explains as he presses the only button built into the machine. With each hit, the pixelized baby chocobo on the screen bounces upward and squeezes through a space in between two green pipes. "So the better your rhythm, the better your—" Sora eats his words when his chocobo suddenly dies after 6 pipes. "Score…" he finishes weakly. He then clears his throat and presents the machine to Kairi with a flourish.

"Kairi, show him how it's done," he says encouragingly.

"Will do," Kairi acknowledges with a nod. She does slightly better with a fairly impressive score of 30 pipes.

"Combined, Kairi and I have 36 points," Sora calculates. "Think you can beat that, Hayner? And to be fair, since we technically used up two lives, you can have two as well."

The gamer merely takes a swig of his energy drink before handing his backpack to Pence. He positions himself in front of the machine and, while sipping his drink, starts the game. He exceeds 36 points easily enough but refuses to stop despite his victory.

"Okay, you win this one," Kairi admits. Hayner then rests an elbow on the machine and yawns at 60 points.

"All right, we get it!" Sora cries at 75. When he exceeds 100, Sora gets down on his knees. "Please, show mercy!"

At 136 on the dot, Hayner raises both his hands and turns to look at his opponents with a smirk.

"Need I use my second life as well?" he asks haughtily.

Kairi's eyes narrow into slits. "You may have beat us this round… but let's see if you can outmaneuver us."

Kairi's sights then turn to multiplayer Puck-Man, where she and Sora control two out of the four ghosts while Hayner navigates the map as the yellow, puck-shaped protagonist. When Sora and Kairi think they finally have him cornered, Hayner suddenly turns the tables by consuming a power pellet. Once the transformation is complete, Sora immediately releases his grip on his joystick and lets out a high-pitched shriek.

"Sora!" Kairi reprimands. Hayner kills Sora first and Kairi soon follows suit.

"You realize you two have such obvious patterns, right?" Hayner asks. "Seriously, you're easier to read than the CPU." He then glances at his smart watch for the time. "So it's been about ten minutes. Are you ready to call it quits?"

Sora holds Kairi back as she lets out a low growl.

The next half hour is spent on fighting games, shooting games, survival games, rhythm-based games and even driving games, but the outcome always remained the same: Hayner would emerge victorious, and Sora and Kairi were left in the dust. The boy simply could not be beat.

"I have to give it to you guys," Hayner says as he crosses the virtual finish line first. "You're fighters. I would've given up a long time ago."

"What do you say, Sora?" Kairi asks, breathless. "Should we tap out?"

"Never," the brunet answers while scanning the area with determination. "There's gotta be something we can beat him at…"

"But we've pretty much tried every game on this floor," Kairi whines.

Sora's head suddenly stops mid-turn, his lips curving upward into a smirk when his eyes land on what appears to be a shining beacon of hope.

"Not every game…" he says while raising a hand to point at a machine directly behind Kairi. The redhead turns to find a large curved screen at _least_ ten feet tall accompanied by a miniature stage. Multi-coloured spotlights bathe the white stage in an ethereal light, and atop the screen, the words "Dance Party" invite players with its vibrant neon signage.

Kairi turns to look at Sora with a knowing grin. All at once, the victorious smell of munny becomes much more promising, and all the hours wasted playing video games back on Destiny Islands after school become valuable practice over procrastination (which is what it really was).

"We'll do one more," the redhead insists.

"Seriously?" Hayner asks. "Well, it's your digital funeral. Lay it on me."

The dynamic duo points at the Dance Party machine simultaneously, and the look of defeat and sheer terror becomes evident on Hayner's face almost instantly.

"That… That's not a real game," he insists, his voice a few octaves higher than usual.

"I believe the conditions were that you would pay us fifty munny each if we beat you on one game on this floor," Sora reiterates. "If I'm not mistaken, we're still on the second floor, and by definition, Dance Party is a rhythm-based dance game with a scoring system determined by the accuracy of the player's body movements."

"It's disgusting that you actually memorized that," Hayner mumbles. "Pence," he then calls. "You've always been my bet commissioner. Would you consider Dance Party as part of our agreement?"

The photographer places a hand to his chin, feigning deep thought. "Hm. Sora does raise a valid point."

Hayner's face immediately hardens. He purses his lips into a tight line and shakes his head at his best friend ever so slightly.

"It has been decided," Pence decrees. "I allow it."

While Sora and Kairi share a high-five, Hayner just about loses it.

" _What_?" he shrieks in disbelief. "The 'best friend' title entails that you're supposed to have my back, man! Dance Party is for losers!"

"A good friend will tell you what you want to hear," Pence justifies. "A best friend will give you brutal honesty."

"Wow. Thank you for that cryptic and totally unrelated advice," Hayner growls as his opponents take their rightful places on the stage.

"Besides," Kairi starts while she and Sora calibrate their bodies to the dancers onscreen. "The only loser that'll be playing Dance Party today is you." Then, with a confident smirk, "Hit it, Sora."

At the sound of his name, Sora gladly selects the routine that he and Kairi had mastered over the years and gets straight to work. Suddenly they're back in Sora's basement on Destiny Islands, perfecting their dance score with their homework long forgotten on the coffee table. Their grades (rather, Sora's) would somewhat suffer the following day, but the shared giggles and cheerful high fives had always made it worthwhile.

Back in Arcadia, Hayner's jaw drops at their performance. For three minutes the dynamic duo performs splendidly, their movements hard at first but loosening up as the song progresses, and move in perfect synchronicity with the dancers onscreen. By the end of the routine, the fake applause sounding from the speakers transitions into real ones from the small crowd of teenagers that had presumably formed from their performance. Sora and Kairi bow and wave in gratitude before turning to each other with breathless, but vibrant smiles.

Sora's heart slows at the sight, and in that moment he wants nothing more than to lift her off her feet and spin her around in the cheesiest manner possible, just as he had before. And if he was lucky, she'd get caught up in the moment, wrap her legs around his waist, press her lips to his in a heated kiss, and smile against his lips as he lead them to the couch where they'd—

"Sora."

—probably make out a little and—

"Sora!"

"Wh… Wha?" he asks dazedly. The memory slowly recedes, and he soon finds himself face to face with present day Kairi with her hands on his shoulders, shaking him out of his trance. Her eyes then gesture to something to her right, and Sora finds himself both pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised by two particular people in the audience heading in their very direction.

"Yuna Riel?" Hayner practically yells from the sidelines. He immediately discards his shirt, rudely tosses it over Pence's head and hops onto the stage.

"Can you like, sign my nipple or something?" he boldly asks the pop sensation with a permanent marker in hand. He immediately finds himself being dragged away by his best friend only seconds later.

"I'm so sorry about him," Pence apologizes as he holds back the thrashing gamer, and Yuna just offers them an apologetic and confused wave in return.

"You two have great moves," Yuna then compliments, her praise directed towards both Sora and Kairi.

"Oh," Kairi says, red-faced with her hands behind her back. It wasn't everyday that a pop star like Yuna Riel complimented her dancing. "Thank you so much. We're just good at copying moves is all, but I've seen your performances—you're a phenomenal dancer."

She then elbows Sora to respond, but the latter is too shocked to formulate a proper response.

"Sorry," he apologizes while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Yuna Riel just complimented my dancing. I think my ego is set for life."

While Sora continues to relish in the moment with a dazed smile, Prince Charming makes his entrance. Behind Yuna, Tidus Clearwater, Sora's unpleasant surprise, addresses the crowd with a few high fives but stops dead in his tracks when he comes face to face with Kairi in particular.

"Hey Kairi," he greets, his charming smile ever-present. "Sora," he then addresses with a nod.

"Tidus," Sora practically growls.

"I'm glad to see that you're back together with Yuna after what happened at the water park," Kairi then says as the pop star in question signs a few autographs.

Tidus looks surprisingly confused. "Oh, Yuna and I? We're not back together." Then, in a hushed whisper, "It's just a publicity thing. Don't want to portray any… bad blood between us."

Somewhat shocked by the news, Kairi offers him a supportive smile. "I'm sorry."

The star player of the Zanarkand Abes timidly glances at his feet before gracing Kairi with a shy smile, but Sora sees right through his pretty boy act.

"I'm not," Tidus suddenly says, catching Kairi slightly off guard. He scurries over to Yuna before she has the chance to respond.

"Wow, he's so dreamy," Hayner points out in a teasing manner. Kairi lightly shoves him off the stage in response.

* * *

Back in the Disney Castle, Riku leads a liberated Xion back to her room.

"I still can't believe you made me try that nasty teen delicacy," Xion says while inserting her key card into its slot. "I also can't believe you guys can eat that every day."

" _That's_ what you find so hard to grasp?" Riku questions. "I can hardly believe that idiot kept ramming into us while we were go-karting. How he acquired his driver's license, I'll never understand."

Xion chuckles at the memory and the impending headache that came with it. "Is being a teenager really just about doing stupid things?"

"Hmm," Riku hums contemplatively as they enter her room. "Yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xion asks while shutting the door behind them.

"Personally, I think doing stupid things is just the first half of it," Riku voices. "Dealing with the consequences that come afterward? I think that's the true essence of being a teenager. Finding yourself in all sorts of situations… I think that's how you find out who you really are."

After a contemplative silence, Xion offers him a nod in agreement.

"That was a pretty thoughtful diagnosis, Dr. Kenbishi," Xion compliments as she removes her contact lenses by her vanity table.

"Thanks," Riku says as he takes his seat on one of the mushroom beanbag chairs. He watches as Xion begins undoing the clips of her wig. "About two years ago, I discovered that staying in one place could never help me progress as a person. If I exposed myself to all sorts of different experiences, I thought I'd gain a better understanding about what I wanted and didn't want, what I disliked and… liked…"

Riku finds himself drifting off at the sight of Xion undoing the last clip of her wig and pulling it off entirely. Within seconds, she transforms from Alice back to the shorthaired, blue-eyed Xion he knew—only this time, her once pale blue eyes were now vibrant and filled with adventure.

He'd also never noticed how well a smile really suited her. It was only day one, and she'd already made more progress than he'd hoped.

An unexpected knock on the door suddenly distracts them from their moment (Riku briefly considers if he even _could_ categorize it under that) and causes both teens to scurry out of their seats.

"What do we do?" Riku asks in a panicked but hushed whisper.

"Bed!" Xion suggests in a rush. She notices the slight tint on Riku's cheeks at the mention of the word and rolls her eyes, fully aware of the dirty thoughts that could be generated by a teenage boy's mind.

" _Under_ the bed," she clarifies while throwing her wig in his direction. More hurried knocks sound at the door.

"You want me to wear the wig under the bed?" Riku asks confusedly.

"No!" Xion exclaims. "I need you to hide—"

The door suddenly swings open, and Xion knows that it could be only one of two people: Sora, the other Funtertainer with the master key card (though unlikely), or Axel, the only other guest that carried her spare key card (more likely).

As expected, it is the latter that walks in with hasty strides.

"Hey Xi," he greets. He then stops dead in his tracks when he gets a better look at her and squints for good measure.

"What?" she asks nervously. She cranes her head slightly and thankfully finds no trace of Riku from the corner of her eye.

"Are… are you wearing makeup?" Axel then asks.

"Oh…" Xion remembers as she brings a hand to her face and feels the fluttering of her fake eyelashes against the back of her hand. Given that most of her company back home consisted only of two boys, she'd never been one to wear much, particularly in their presence. "Um… yeah. I'm trying to… gussy up for the cameras I guess," she lies.

"I'm not saying it looks bad," Axel assures. "Just… different. A good different."

"Um, thanks?" Xion squeaks.

Axel then clears his throat. "A-anyway, I just wanted to ask if you've seen Riku anywhere. He isn't answering his phone, auditions for Battle of the Bands are tomorrow and we have practice in five."

"Riku?" Xion repeats anxiously. Her mind drifts to the boy under the bed. "I… I can't say I've seen him."

"Huh," Axel says. "All right. Keep me posted if you do." Then, on his way out, "Listen, uh… Rox and I were talking and… we're trying to find a way to get you and Naminé out of your rooms for a bit, so… yeah."

"Oh, thank you," Xion says gratefully.

Axel then raises an eyebrow in suspicion. "I figured you'd be a bit more pumped than that."

"I – I am!" Xion stammers. "Seriously, I'm pumped. Thank you, Axel."

Her figurative "older brother" offers her a farewell salute before shutting the door behind him. Once his whistling is out of earshot, Riku stealthily emerges from Xion's teacup-shaped bed with her blue wig secured on his head.

"How do I look?" he asks jokingly. Xion pulls the disguise off his head with a playful eye roll.

"How'd you get under there so quickly?" she then asks, but judging by the tone of her voice, Riku feels as if she already knows the answer.

"Let's just say I've… done this before," Riku answers carefully.

Xion almost shakes her head knowingly. Of course he'd done this before. A guy as handsome as Riku? He'd probably been with hundreds of girls before and had a hundred girls in line. She'd known that going in, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest tingle in the brief moment they'd shared before Axel waltzed into her room unannounced.

She inwardly sighs. She couldn't like Riku. Not like that, at least. Being interested in him romantically would've been like an action packed movie trailer: exciting, but fleeting—like she'd already seen the whole movie, and it didn't look promising.

"Xi?" Riku asks, sensing the disappointment. He'd been well accustomed to it by now, after all.

"Don't worry," she assures. "You don't need to clarify anything. I understand our… agreement."

"Um… thanks," Riku answers awkwardly but with an undertone of gratitude. "This kind of confrontation has never been my forte. I'll, uh… catch you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Xion says as she reclaims her wig from Riku's hands. "Thank you, Riku. Not just for today, but for the teenage bucket list in general. "

"Just doing my job," Riku assures.

 _Right_ , Xion recalls. _His job._

"See you, Xi," Riku then says.

"See you," is the last thing he hears before shutting the door behind him. He does a brief scan of the hallway before walking towards the elevators—only to collide with Kairi around the corner.

"Kairi. Your room isn't on this floor," he observes.

"Alice?" she asks bluntly. "You really couldn't have thought of a better name?"

Riku crosses his arms with a smirk. She'd always been observant.

"Sora texted me about what Tidus said at Arcadia," Riku fights back. "You're not actually falling for that pretty boy crap are you? It's a shame, really. I thought you knew better, Kairi."

The redhead waves off the accusation with a nonchalant shrug. "It's just harmless flirting. It doesn't mean anything."

"But what happens when it does?" Riku questions. "What will you do then?"

"What happens when this thing with Alice becomes more than what it's supposed to be?" Kairi challenges.

"I'm just saying," Riku says with his hands raised in surrender. "If distance was the only thing stopping you from being with Sora before, what's stopping you now?"

Kairi's eyes narrow into slits. "Why do you always have to be so annoyingly smart?"

"Why do you always have to be so annoyingly vigilant?" Riku returns. The two spend a few moments participating in a glaring contest until the tension wears off and two smiles eventually replace their frowns. Their friendship had always thrived, not waned, on challenging the other.

"We're in some hot water now, aren't we?" Riku asks.

"Yeah," Kairi admits. "But you know I'll be there for you when it gets too deep."

Riku snickers. "I don't know about you, but I'm letting your ass drown."

Kairi releases a laugh before heading back to the elevators. "I'm sure you will."

* * *

In the middle of his search for Riku, Axel finds himself waiting for the elevator to arrive on the second floor. When the doors eventually part, he finds Roxas and Naminé inside, wide-eyed and breathless. His eyebrows visibly rise when he finds Naminé adjusting the straps of her dress with a very evident blush on her cheeks. Axel enters the elevator wordlessly, not failing to notice the increase in temperature inside, and asks no questions when the doors begin to close in front of them.

"We're not going to talk about it," Roxas decides when he finally regains his ability to speak.

Axel merely snickers in agreement. "Okay."

* * *

The following day, Roxas finds himself pacing nervously behind the stage of the Battle of the Bands auditions. The Oathkeepers (the name had stuck, much to Hayner's dismay) were scheduled to perform next, and their lead singer couldn't help but suffer from pre-performance jitters.

"Hey," Naminé says while placing a shaky but reassuring hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "You're going to be fine, Roxas. If you look at your amount of online subscribers, you've technically performed for a crowd a hundred times larger than the one outside."

"Yeah, but that wasn't live and in person with Yuna Riel judging," he argues nervously.

 _And there's a lot more at stake,_ he mentally adds, his thoughts drifting to the girl trapped at the end of the hallway.

He then notices the worried look on his girlfriend's face and sighs guiltily. He pulls her to him by the waist and rests his forehead on her shoulder. He can't visibly see it, but he knows she's blushing madly at the gesture.

"I'm sorry, Nams," he apologizes, his voice muffled against her blouse. "I'm being inconsiderate. Here I am being nervous about some performance while you're at risk being outside the castle walls."

"Don't worry about me," Naminé pleads while running a hand through his familiar blond spikes. "I'll be fine. Besides, Kairi has my emergency panic attack kit in her backpack."

At the very mention of the redhead, Roxas turns his head slightly to find her conversing with what appears to be Riku and Sora, the latter of the two showing off his guitar skills. While Riku shakes his head knowingly, Kairi merely rolls her eyes at his attempt to impress her, but she does so with a smile tugging at her lips.

"You know," Roxas then says while pulling away to caress his girlfriend's cheek. "I probably wouldn't even be here if you didn't secretly post that video of me on MeTube."

"Roxas," Naminé mumbles with embarrassment. He chuckles at her shy nature.

"You've pushed me to become who I wanted to be," he whispers, "so thank you."

"You're welcome," she answers, red-faced and hiding her face in his hands. His heart swells at the adorable sight and, without warning, presses his lips to her forehead where she gasps in pleasant surprise.

"Love you, Nams," he whispers into her hair.

"Love you too," she replies.

Just behind the painfully cute couple, Pence wishes Hayner good luck on his first performance with The Oathkeepers.

"Play nice," Pence warns.

The gamer scoffs. "But you don't get anywhere by playing nice."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that…" Pence warns as his eyes linger onto a familiar female figure headed in their direction.

"Break a leg," Olette cheers.

"Ger, uh, blah," Hayner stammers at her unexpected presence, but thankfully the sound of the band onstage ending their performance followed by cheerful applause covers his embarrassing reply. The curtains lower, and as the backstage coordinators begin calling The Oathkeepers to their places, Hayner gulps and graces Olette with a nervous smile.

"Um, thanks," he manages before scurrying off to his rightful spot onstage.

"Well that was an improvement," Pence points out. Olette only chuckles in agreement.

"Is everyone ready?" Sora asks excitedly. By the keyboards, Hayner plugs a small device into one of the jacks (presumably the synths and sound effects he'd programmed for their performance) and shrugs nonchalantly. Beside him, Riku just finishes tuning his bass, Roxas downs the last of his honey lemon tea for his vocals, but when Sora turns his sights to the drum set, he finds the seat empty.

"Um, where's Axel?" he asks anxiously.

Roxas sighs and releases his grip on the mic. He walks to the closest backstage coordinator, asks where the nearest closet it, and walks a grand total of ten steps before reaching the back door and opening it without warning. Inside, Axel and Larxene, the lead singer of The Organization, are caught in a heated makeout session with the latter pressed against the wall with one leg hooked around the former's waist. Luckily, both are still clothed.

"Seriously?" is the only thing Roxas manages to say. Instead of shying away in embarrassment, Larxene merely snickers and readjusts her skirt as Axel runs after his best friend apologetically.

"For the record, they say sex before a performance helps you perform better," the lanky redhead justifies. "So I'm actually doing the band a favour."

"Uh huh," Roxas says with disbelief. "Just get ready."

"Will do, boss," Axel says with a playful salute. He plops down on his seat, raises his drumsticks, and initiates the song when the curtains rise.

* * *

The following day, the guests and employees of the Disney Castle find themselves in the home theatre, eagerly waiting for the results of the Battle of the Bands competition.

"Good morning Kingdom Hearts Island Resort," greets the perky voice of Penelo onscreen, "and welcome to the latest on this summer's Battle of the Bands competition. We're your hosts, Penelo—"

"—and Vaan," the other host finishes. "As you may already know, eight lucky bands out of hundreds were selected in yesterday's auditions judged by Yuna Riel, Rikku Hokkaido and Paine Matsuda. Over the next two months, the eight selected bands will vie for first place in a series of musical challenges, and the lucky winners of the competition will win a recording contract with Gullwing Studios, the studio that signed Yuna Riel herself, and a grand prize of 100,000 munny."

"One band will be eliminated every week," Penelo explains. "And this time, you, the viewers, get to pick who's in and who's out via our voting system on the resort's app. The band with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated."

"Now, without further ado, let's meet the eight lucky bands that managed to impress our judges!" Vaan suggests, and the names of succeeding bands with their corresponding group photos begin appearing onscreen: _The Noize, The Advent Children, Crystal Stasis, The Organization_ …

At number five, Roxas begins to grow anxious. Beside him, Xion places a gentle hand overtop his.

"You'll make it," she says supportively. He offers her a weak, but hopeful smile. Naminé notices.

The picture of the seventh band, _The Brotherhood_ , appears onscreen, and everyone in the theatre holds their breath as they await the results of the final band. Silence fills the air when a picture of Roxas, Axel, Sora, Riku and Hayner posing off to the side with his arms crossed is shown with the name _The Oathkeepers_ standing out in bold font. Penelo and Vaan thank all the bands that participated, wish the bands that were able to advance good luck, and sign off. A total of two seconds pass, and everyone in the theatre jumps out of their seats and goes wild.

**tbc**

* * *

**Fun fact:** I imagined _The Oathkeepers_ to have a fun, summer-y dance/rock funk/pop kind of vibe like DNCE. The song I had in mind for their auditions was _Cake by the Ocean_. What did you imagine them being like? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

 **Fun fact #2:** My Flappy Bird high score is 225. I'm also a Just Dance monster #nolife


	8. bumfuzzle

**Background Information:**

TERMINOLOGY

Moogle: Google.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
VIII | bumfuzzle

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's _fool proof_ ," Axel swears, poolside with his feet dipped into the Mickey Mouse-shaped hot tub in the castle's backyard. Beside him but enjoying the full benefits that the tub had to offer, Roxas shakes his head in disagreement.

"There are so many flaws with that plan," the blond foresees.

"Name one," Axel challenges.

"The fact that you want to spend all of your complimentary munny on a _bouncy castle_ ," Roxas answers flatly.

"Okay, hear me out," Axel pleads. Beside Roxas, Xion lowers her sunglasses to show Axel the very evident disapproval in her eyes.

"We did hear you out," she reminds. "I just don't see the benefits of spending two thousand munny on an inflatable castle that may not leave you with any profits."

Axel finishes the last of his sea-salt ice cream bar before responding. "You two aren't seeing it. Imagine, if you will, a replica of the very castle only the sweepstakes winners get to live in for the summer, but in bouncy castle form. I'm merely giving the other teenagers an opportunity to live like _us_ , like _royalty_ , for ten munny a minute. If you ask me, I think it'll make a great return on investment. Spend munny to make munny—that's the business mindset right there. Win-win, case closed."

"It's only win-win because you get to see boobs bouncing everywhere while getting paid for it," Xion says.

" _Finally_ , someone gets it!" Axel praises while shaking her shoulders.

"Still the stupidest business venture you've ever pitched," Roxas insists.

"Suit yourself," Axel says. "Soon enough Xi and I will be rolling in munny, isn't that right?"

The girl in question raises her hands in surrender. "I want no part of this."

Axel shrugs. "Fine, more for me then."

"So…" Roxas starts, his eyes falling on Axel in particular. "I'm thinking that in order to celebrate The Oathkeepers making it into the Battle of the Bands competition, we should _all_ go out and have a little fun, don't you think?"

Catching his drift, Axel nods slowly. "Right. We've been thinking… and you've been cooped up in this castle for too long, Xi. I think we should help escort you out for a fun activity—if you'll have us, that is."

Xion excitedly jumps out of the tub and hooks her arms around the shoulders of both boys.

"I will gladly cause some havoc with you guys," she accepts.

"All right!" Axel cheers while throwing a fist into the air. "Let's tear this place up!"

"And what are we tearing up exactly?" Xion questions, eyes suddenly skittish.

"The Sharpshooter arena," Roxas announces proudly. He pulls up the island's website on his tablet and presents the activity to Xion. "Think laser tag, but on a totally different scale. Are you up for it?"

"A bunch of teenagers armed with laser guns in an enclosed arena?" Xion deduces while examining the photos online. She immediately shrugs after the words come out of her mouth. "Of course, what could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

On the second floor of the Disney Castle, Naminé finishes the final details on her latest illustration before her boyfriend excitedly waltzes into her room with the spare key card she'd given him. Naminé's room, themed much like everyone else's, paid homage to the castle of Arendelle with a large canopy bed on one side, a fireplace on the other, elegant wooden furniture abound and splashes of periwinkle blue and deep royal purple.

"Good morning, love," Roxas greets while approaching his girlfriend's drafting table and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"Morning," she greets, placing her stylus down on the digital table and willingly leaning into his touch.

"That looks beautiful," Roxas comments, admiring Naminé's illustration of the clock tower in their hometown.

"Thank you," Naminé says. "I really wanted to capture Twilight Town's charm with the warm colour palette."

"Oh I'm sorry, did you think I was talking about the illustration?" Roxas jokes. "I was talking about you."

"Ew," Naminé says while playfully removing herself from his grasp. "I wasn't aware that I was dating a total cheeseball."

Roxas merely scratches his cheek with embarrassment.

"So, um… I've been meaning to ask…" Roxas starts nervously, "and I totally understand if you can't make it, but… are you able to come to our first performance tonight? I know it isn't exactly the most peaceful scene out there, but I figured I'd ask."

Naminé turns her chair around to face him with a finger pressed to the edge of her lips. "I'll... certainly try, Roxas."

"That's more than enough for me," Roxas assures while kissing her forehead.

"So," Naminé says, her tone shifting. "What do you have scheduled for today? Well, besides band practice of course."

"Just laser tag with Axel and Xion in the Sharpshooter arena," Roxas answers while lacing his hands with hers. "Figured we needed to calm our nerves with an activity before our performance. I just came up to invite everyone else, but of course I'd ask my favourite girl first."

"A bunch of teenagers armed with laser guns in an enclosed arena?" Naminé deduces. "Doesn't sound like the kind of thing I'd participate in."

"Xion said the same exact thing," Roxas points out with a laugh. "Well, the former part at least."

"You guys have been spending a lot of time together," Naminé comments. Roxas leans over and gently places a finger on Naminé's chin, forcing her to look up at him with the flustered expression he'd always found very entertaining.

"There's no need to be jealous, babe," he assures while planting a chaste kiss on her lips. Naminé carefully takes his wrist and brings it back down to his side.

"I'm not jealous, Roxas," she insists. "I'm just surprised that Axel is actually letting her leave the castle for once."

Roxas is taken slightly aback by this. "Wait, you know about that? Did she tell you?"

"She didn't need to," Naminé responds. "It's not hard to pick up, Roxas. She's not spending majority of her time in here willingly like I am. It's nice spending time with her, but she looks… trapped."

Unsure of what to say, Roxas backs up the edge of Naminé's bed and takes a seat.

"She's sick, isn't she?" Naminé asks solemnly. "I remember you telling me when we first met that you had a friend with some... health complications, but I didn't think it would be this bad."

When Roxas fails to make any eye contact, Naminé walks over to her bed and wraps her arms around Roxas' shoulders from behind.

"Does she know that you know?" Roxas asks weakly. He feels Naminé shake her head against his back.

"No," his girlfriend answers softly. "I never brought it up around her because I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. I'd only ever ask if she brought it up herself, and I know it's not your story to tell, so I won't pry."

Roxas smiles sadly and places a warm hand over both of Naminé's resting on his chest. His Naminé, though timid as she was, had always been so considerate and compassionate, almost as if she could delve into someone's mind and know exactly how they thought and felt. It was one of the many things he so greatly appreciated about her.

"Is there any way I can help?" Naminé asks when Roxas remains silent. "You know I'll always be here for you, Roxas."

"Thank you, Naminé," he says graciously. "Axel and I are working on it, but for now… I don't suppose you could lighten the mood?"

Naminé immediately rolls of her bed and skips over to her vanity table to retrieve her tablet.

"Well, I do have some exciting news," she chimes. "The island is hosting an Artist's Alley in a few weeks."

"That's great!" Roxas exclaims, but when Naminé places a hand on her hip, he knows he's busted. "Yeah, I have no idea what that is."

"It's an event that showcases the artwork of a selected number of artists on a weekly basis," Naminé explains, losing herself in her excitement. "Not only does it give the artists' more visibility, but it also gives them an opportunity to sell their art, too. The deadline to submit portfolio pieces for selection is today, and I just finished the last of my submissions when you walked in."

"That's great, Nams," Roxas replies, but his voice sounds somewhat distant. Naminé turns around only to find her boyfriend typing away on his phone.

"Roxas," she says disapprovingly.

"Hm—oh, sorry!" he says when he feels his eyes on her. He hides his phone behind him with a guilty smile. "Sora and I started an Oathkeepers page on Twitfacelr last night to increase our online presence before the competition and I was just checking out the amount of activity we've already gotten on it… but I totally heard what you said though! I'm glad you were able to finish your submissions in time."

"Roxas…" Naminé says, eyes filled with evident worry. "You know I'm your biggest fan, but… you're not going to let the fame of this competition get to you, are you?"

Leaving his phone completely forgotten on the edge of the bed, Roxas gets up and cups Naminé's face in his soft hands.

"I knew from the moment I met you that you're far too talented for your own good," Naminé whimpers, avoiding eye contact. "Your destiny is to walk amongst the stars, Roxas, and if I'm in your way—"

"Naminé, you're the reason I've gotten this far in the first place," he whispers lovingly. "If anything, you're the one holding me up. I'm not going to let this competition change me or get in between us. Besides," he starts while rubbing her cheek affectionately, "you're a star, too, Nams. Don't forget that."

Naminé blushes when his eyes burn into hers.

"You can be so charming when you need to be," she mumbles.

"I mean it," Roxas promises, gently forcing his gaze upon hers. "My heart is my own, and I've chosen to give it to you for safekeeping. I'll always be yours, Naminé Sato."

When the two melt into a romantic embrace, Roxas feels Naminé smile just on the nape of his neck, but her sights remain on the phone glowing on the edge of her bed.

* * *

In the downtore core of Kingdom Hearts Island Resort, adjacent to Arcadia, the Sharpshooter Arena awaited the arrival of any competitors worthy of its grandeur. That particular day, the residents of the Disney Castle were up to the challenge. In a dark chamber just above the arena housing protective gear and a wide selection of plastic laser guns, fourteen teenagers await the arrival of their instructor to explain the rules of the game.

"Welcome to the Sharpshooter Arena," an unamused voice greets. One could tell by the delivery of the speech that it had been given a hundred times before. "I'm Lightning Farron. I'll be your instructor for today. Before we begin, I need to know how many of you will be participating and how many will be spectating. Players on the left and spectators on the right, please."

While Naminé, Pence, Selphie and Wakka take their rightful places on the right, the remainder of the teens shift to the left.

"All right. Ten in, four out," Lighting calculates. "As you may know, this game has two modes: sudden death free for all or, if you have an even number of players, teams. As you fall under the latter, you're eligible for team playing. Did you have a preference as to which mode you'll like to play?"

Competitive smirks are shared between the group of competitors.

"Definitely teams," Axel answers on behalf of them all.

"Five versus five it is," Lightning decides. "Red team line up by the red gate and blue by the blue gate."

While Sora, Kairi, Riku, Olette and Hayner assemble by the blue gate, Roxas, Xion, Axel, and two of his college cronies, Larxene and Demyx, stand by the red gate.

"The rules of the game are simple," Lightning says while pacing in between both teams. "The first team to successfully eliminate the other will emerge victorious. Each of you will be wearing a vest with five vital points: one on each shoulder, one in front, and two on your back." Lightning then pulls two of the vests hanging on the wall and points out the circular vital pads glowing either bright blue or deep red depending on the designated team colour. "If any of you are hit, your vital pads will turn yellow, and you'll be eliminated from the game. Once eliminated, you won't be able to wield any weapons, and you will be expected to exit the arena and back into this chamber."

To demonstrate her explanation, Lightning grabs one of the many guns displayed on the wall, aims the red laser at one of the vest's vital points, and pulls the trigger. The pads on the vest immediately begin to vibrate and flash yellow.

"Sound easy enough?" Lightning asks. The participants nod in understanding. "All right. Now inside the arena, there will be guns hidden in various places. It's up to you to get to them before the other team does. If someone is eliminated with a weapon in hand, they must drop the weapon where they stand, and it's fair game for anyone to pick up." Lightning then presents the wall of plastic guns to the participants who admire them with anticipation.

"There are five different types of guns you can pick up in the arena, all with red dot sights for precision and all varying in range, but all one shot kill to the vital points." She then begins motioning to specific guns in particular. "The dual pistols and shotgun are, of course, more close range, while the crossbow and sniper can hit a target from quite the distance—if you can aim it properly, of course. Now, each gun has ten charges. Once you run out of ammo, it will take five minutes for your gun to reload all ten charges, but you won't be able to use it until it's fully charged, so I suggest you use your shots wisely. Does everyone understand?"

Amidst the nods, Axel enthusiastically punches his right fist into his opened left palm.

"I am _so ready_ for this," he says excitedly. "Your team is going _down_ , princess," he then taunts, directing his statement towards his fellow redhead on the blue team in particular.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Riku says defensively with crossed arms.

"Yeah," Sora agrees optimistically. "Teamwork makes the dream work!"

"Get that Disney shit out of here, kid," Larxene deadpans. "We're sweeping your team whether you like it or not."

"All right hot shots," Lightning says, intervening between the two teams. "Save it for the arena. Once you enter your gates, you'll be led to two opposite ends of the map. Once all ten of you step inside, the timer will begin. The game has a maximum time of thirty minutes, so if a team isn't entirely eliminated in that time frame, the team with the most kills wins. If it's a tie, the first death during five minutes of overtime decides the victor."

"Don't worry," Hayner assures haughtily as his team enters the blue gate. "We'll only need two minutes with these guys."

"The same amount of time you'd last in bed if you ever got any!" Hayner hears Axel yell from the other gate.

"Less talking, more shooting," Kairi suggests with a supportive shoulder clap when Hayner's face turns red with embarrassment. At the end of their corridor, the five strap on their vests and, without further ado, slide open the doors leading to the Sharpshooter Arena.

Immediately overwhelmed by neon lights, the five members of the red team shield their eyes until their eyes grow used to the brightness. The arena, designed much like (if not exactly) the world of Tron, was bathed in neon lights, each colour presumably marking different sections of the digital city. In the middle, a large tower overlooked the entire arena, and electronic music blares from speakers on every corner to set the mood.

"All right, we should split up," Axel suggests while adjusting the fit of his vest. "Rox and Xi go left, Larxene and I will head right. Dem, you go in the middle."

"Wait, why do I have to go alone?" the latter whines.

"We need to cover as much ground as possible," Roxas explains.

Demyx merely pouts. "But that still doesn't explain why I have to—"

"Because only the bravest of the team can go in the middle," Axel lies through gritted teeth, knowing that only flattery could get Demyx out of their hair.

"Oh," he says dumbly while running off into the distance. "All right then!"

"You realize Riku is probably heading towards him as we speak," Roxas points out.

"All part of the plan, Rox," Axel assures.

"We have no plan, do we?" Xion asks rhetorically as she watches Demyx's retreating figure.

"Nope," the redhead admits.

On the other side of the map, Riku enters through a pair of automatic sliding doors leading to a circular room glowing predominantly bright blue and pink. In the center, an auto-rifle type gun rests on a stand atop what appears to be the central energy core, but in order to reach it, Riku examines his surroundings and concludes that he'll have to hop through the many floating cubes surrounding the core in order to retrieve it. To the doors on his right, Demyx appears to have reached the same conclusion at the same exact time. The two lock eyes, and without a moment's hesitation, begin their race for the weapon.

With confident, sprightly jumps, the two make it to the top at the same time, but just as Demyx reaches for the gun, Riku quickly performs a twisting backflip, snatching the gun mid-flip, and immediately fires at the exposed vital point on Demyx's chest. While his vest begins to vibrate and glow yellow, Riku sticks his landing with the gun in hand.

"Aww, man!" Demyx whines, head hung low. "I knew they picked the wrong guy for the job!"

Some distance away, Sora and Kairi listen as Lightning's voice informs them that a member of the red team has been eliminated through the speakers.

"Wow, Riku works fast," Kairi comments.

"And how do you know that was Riku's doing and not Hayner and Olette's?" her companion asks.

"Because Hayner is probably a blubbering mess right now with Olette around," Kairi snickers mischievously.

"It was awfully mean of you to pair them off like that," Sora comments.

"Mean? I'm doing them a favour," Kairi insists as they approach a white oval-shaped platform. "It was payback for—"

She cuts herself off, recalling the time when Olette had abandoned her during the welcoming party at Atlantica to give her alone time with Sora. She now realizes why her roommate was completely fine with being paired up with Hayner only moments ago.

"Nevermind…" Kairi mumbles upon realizing Olette's true intentions to leave her alone with Sora yet again. "So, do you think this leads to that tower?" she then asks, pointing at said tower in the distance. In front of them, two yellow horizontal lines form what appears to be a pathway over the canyon to the tower.

"Only one way to find out," Sora sings.

"Wait, Sora," Kairi pleads. "I think this platform is only meant for one per—"

Reckless as he is, Sora doesn't heed Kairi's warning and presses the button on the wall anyway and firmly plants his feet on the ground when he feels the platform beneath him rumble and begin to move. Kairi, on the other hand, nearly loses her footing from the sudden movement but is held in place by Sora, who instinctively places a hand around her waist and pulls her to him so that their chests meet.

The two immediately blush at the close proximity, the familiarity of the warmth washing over them both. Kairi's hands, which land on Sora's chest, can feel his heart beating erratically even through his vest, but what surprises her even more is how hard she can feel her own heart hammering in her chest.

It was the first time she'd hugged him in almost a year.

"Sorry," Sora says sheepishly in the middle of their ride. "I didn't think it would react that quickly."

"It's fine," Kairi mutters as she looks at anything _but_ him. "Just… don't enjoy it."

"I'll try not to," Sora replies, but he knows his promise is an empty one and takes what he can get.

Sora tries not to stare, but he can't help it. Not when the neon lights reflect off Kairi's blue eyes in a way that brings out the adventurous purple flecks in them. Growing up with Kairi, Sora very well knew that she wasn't the type to sit still and look pretty, though she did the latter rather effortlessly in his opinion. Much like he and Riku, she craved new experiences and was fascinated by the unknown. It was one of the many qualities he found so fascinating about her, and it was always reflected in her irises.

For the entirety of thirty seconds, the two are locked in an awkward embrace as the platform moves across the canyon, unable to move due to the fear of falling off. As the platform approaches the other side, Sora and Kairi are surprised to find the silhouette of a figure already awaiting their arrival. Fearing that it was someone from the opposing team, Sora protectively angles himself to shield Kairi, but the figure ends up being a very familiar teammate.

"Wow," Riku remarks, arms crossed with a smirk. "Are you two actually going to put in some work, or am I going to have to put you both on my back again while you snuggle?"

The oldest of the three throws his head back with a laugh when Kairi subtly flips him off. The instant the platform arrives on the other side, Kairi lightly pushes herself off of her ex-boyfriend and jumps back onto stable ground, the latter of the two oblivious to her discomfort.

"Anything to report?" Kairi asks to change the subject.

"Well while you two were out there canoodling—" Riku starts. Kairi growls at his choice of words. "—I was out there securing our victory. I've already taken down Demyx and retrieved not one, but two guns."

"Now all we need to do now is secure this tower," Sora adds while the three make their way to the entrance. "If we control it, we control the entire arena and know where everyone is."

Kairi's ears then perk upward at the sound of footsteps upon entering.

"I think someone's already beat us to it," Kairi whispers.

"Split up," Riku commands. "Better one of us goes out than all three."

The three disperse, taking cover behind the pillars lining up the edges of the tower. They remain silent, waiting for the footsteps to give away the position of their opponent, but find themselves at a standstill.

"Well," Sora says, getting impatient and emerging from his hiding spot. "That was uneventfu—"

"Sora!" Kairi cries when she sees the red dot on his shoulder pad. Thinking fast, Riku follows the source of the laser and finds Larxene adjusting her aim from behind a pillar with a pistol. Unfortunately for her, she leaves her side exposed, and Riku fires before she gets the chance to.

"Ugh, damnit!" Larxene shrieks, dropping her weapon with a frustrated grunt.

"Sorry Larxene," Sora apologizes when she walks past him.

"Shut up!" she hisses. Kairi merely raises her hands in surrender when the angered blonde stomps past her.

"You really do have a knack for disappointing women, don't you?" Sora teases.

"It's what I was bred for," Riku jokes.

"All right bromance," Kairi says while picking up the pistol that Larxene had left behind. "We don't know how many of them are in here, so I suggest that one of us guard the door while two secure the tower."

"Yes ma'am," Sora answers with a playful salute.

"You two head up," Riku suggests while tossing his spare rifle in Sora's direction. "I think I've stolen the spotlight long enough."

With a nod, Sora and Kairi begin heading up the spiral staircase while Riku watches the door intently.

Outside, on the other side of the canyon, Roxas and Xion watch as an angered Larxene approaches them on the platform with her vest glowing bright yellow.

"I'm guessing they got you?" Roxas asks.

"No shit," Larxene snaps.

"Do they know that Axel is heading up there?" Xion asks while pointing at the top of the tower.

"They're about to find out," Larxene answers. "But all of them are armed. He can't take all three of them. My guess is that they sent Sora and Kairi up to secure the tower and Riku's probably watching the door."

"That's a tough one," Roxas remarks while holding the shotgun he and Xion managed to secure earlier. "How are we going to get past Riku with this thing? We'd literally have to be right in front of him."

"Beats the hell out of me," Larxene answers while heading for the exit. "See ya."

"We have to hurry," Xion says. "The longer we stand here, the closer they get to Axel, and if our suspicions are correct and the sniper really is hidden up there, then they'll secure the tower _and_ take the best weapon on the map."

"But what are we going to do about our friend at the door?" Roxas asks. "He'll shoot us the instant he sees us arrive on that platform. I just… don't want you getting hurt, Xi."

Xion rolls her eyes. "It's just a game, Roxas. You don't have to treat me like I'm a wounded puppy."

Roxas' eyes light up at her wording. "But… what if we did?"

At the tower doors, Riku raises his gun when he sees two figures approaching on the platform, ready to shoot without a moment's hesitation.

That is, until he sees Roxas supporting an injured Xion with one of her arms secured over his shoulders.

"What the hell happened?" Riku asks, leaving his weapon behind and running towards the two defenseless.

"Xi suddenly sprained her ankle on the way here," Roxas answers shakily. Riku nearly sighs in relief but maintains his composure. At least her injury wasn't a result of her geostigma like he suspected. A sprained ankle could heal itself.

Xion then releases herself from Roxas' hold and limps over to Riku, only to fall forward two steps in. Luckily, Riku is quick enough to catch her, but she crashes into his chest with a hiss.

"I'm sorry," she whimpers.

"Don't be," Riku answers, his hands on her elbows to support her balance. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm sorry," she just repeats, her voice suddenly less hoarse than before.

Riku suddenly frowns when he realizes Roxas' flawed logic and questions it. "Wait, if you're injured, then why did Roxas bring you here and not…"

Riku's suspicions are confirmed when he sees a red dot aimed for the vital spot on his right shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding," Riku drawls. He looks up to find Roxas aiming his shotgun with a smirk tugging at his lips. He pulls the trigger not a second later.

"Wow, I can't believe that actually worked!" Xion exclaims, effortlessly getting back on her feet whilst exhibiting no signs of pain whatsoever.

"You two are mental," Riku decides, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Sorry Riku," Roxas apologizes. "We knew there was no way of getting past you unless we distracted you somehow."

Riku then looks over at Xion who appears to be mouthing a heartfelt apology to him, but he shakes his head in disappointment—not towards her, but towards himself for actually falling for it.

"Oh come on Riku," Roxas starts when he notices Riku space out. "You're not actually mad about that, are you? It's all just in good fun."

"I'm not mad," Riku decides, his eyes closed with a smirk. "I'm just going to get you back."

"And how do you suppose you're going to do that?" Roxas challenges with crossed arms.

"Sora! Kairi!" Riku suddenly yells towards the entrance. "You have company!"

Roxas and Xion frown as Riku passes them with his hands in his pockets.

"Good luck with that," he sings as he steps on the platform and disembarks.

When Riku is out of sight, Roxas and Xion share a look and nod. They quickly enter the tower, pick up the rifle that Riku had left behind, and hide behind a pillar to await the arrival of Sora and Kairi who come bounding down the steps moments later, back to back with their weapons raised.

"I know you're here Roxas," Sora sings as he examines the pillars. "Come out and play!"

At the mention of his name, Roxas and Xion emerge from their pillar, weapons aimed and ready, but just when they pull the trigger, Sora twists his body and leans forward to block the shot from hitting his chest, and Kairi rolls over on his back with her weapon in hand, their vital points left unexposed. When her feet hit the ground, she immediately fires at Roxas, and Sora takes aim and hits Xion not a second later. Roxas and Xion's vests begin to glow yellow, and the victorious duo high fives at their coordination.

"That was amazing!" Kairi cheers. "I hope they caught that in slow motion."

"I'm just surprised that you two let your guard down so easily," Sora comments when Roxas and Xion walk towards them in a manner less languid than he expects.

"We just did it in the hopes of stalling you long enough," Xion reveals.

Sora cocks his head to the side with confusion. "What?"

It's then that he notices the red dot aimed for Kairi's shoulder and quickly realizes that in the time it took for them to take Roxas and Xion down, the only survivor left on the red team, Axel, must have secured the tower behind their backs.

Unaware of this realization, Kairi just stands in place, wondering why Sora was running towards her with such haste, and watches as he jumps in front of her and suddenly takes a shot that she wasn't able to foresee. She tracks the source and finds Axel at the top of the staircase, sniper in hand.

"Well finally!" Xion yells, her hands curled around her mouth as a funnel.

"What took you so long?" Roxas teases. "Did your fat ass weigh you down?"

"Shut up! There were a lot of steps, okay?" Axel reasons as he takes aim for the redhead once again. He fires, but she's quick enough to perform a dodge roll towards an area out of Axel's line of sight and lands beside Sora who appears to be on his back and gasping like a dying koi fish.

"K-Kairi…" he groans, feigning pain as he reaches for her face.

"Your sacrifice will be avenged," Kairi promises dramatically as she takes hold of his wrist.

"Gross," Roxas remarks with a grimace. "I'm leaving. Let's bounce, Xi."

Xion chortles at the scene as she and Roxas leave the premises, leaving Sora and Kairi behind.

"Okay, you need to go," Kairi decides when their moment subsides.

"Well that was short-lived," Sora says while performing a kip-up. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kairi merely pockets her pistol, takes the rifle that Sora had dropped and throws it on her shoulder in response.

"If I'm not, hopefully Hayner and Olette can take him down eventually," Kairi answers.

"Come on princess!" they hear Axel taunt. "Do we have a game here or not?"

"You got this, Kairi," Sora says while extending his arm for their classic sideways fist bump. Kairi, foreign to the gesture at first as she hadn't performed it in nearly a year, softens at the familiarity. She returns the gesture, and it feels as if they've just finished yet another keyblade training session in their master's backyard on Destiny Islands.

"See you in the winner's circle," Sora says while offering her a farewell salute.

"See you," Kairi says as she watches his retreating figure.

When he's out of sight, Kairi examines her rifle, noting that she had eight charges left, and looks up at the spiral staircase with determination. She takes a deep breath, readies herself, and begins to ascend the steps in a zigzag fashion, making it harder for Axel to take proper aim. He fires twice but misses. She continues to sprint up the staircase but manages to make it slightly past halfway before Axel finally brings her down with a confident snipe. Kairi's vest begins to glow yellow and she hangs her head low in defeat.

"A valiant effort, sweetheart," Axel acknowledges. Kairi then makes her way back down the steps and encounters Hayner and Olette by the entrance. She immediately pulls them aside to the safe area she'd found earlier.

"Where have you two _been_?" Kairi asks, wiggling her eyebrows in Olette's direction.

"Securing this!" Hayner announces proudly while showing off the crossbow they managed to obtain.

"That's great news, but I'm afraid you'll have to get past the staircase if you want to get a decent shot with that," Kairi says.

"What's the situation?" Olette asks.

"Axel's up there with a sniper," Kairi answers. "He can pretty much see you from anywhere but here."

"How many times has he fired?" Olette then asks.

"Hmm," Kairi hums, tapping her chin in thought. One shot to take Sora down, three misses for her, and one to finally bring her down. "I think five."

"How long does it take to get to the top?" Hayner questions.

"Maybe ten minutes," Kairi calculates, recalling that it took her and Sora maybe about five to get halfway.

"All right, I think we can take it from here," Olette concludes. "Thanks, Kairi."

"Don't let us down!" she chimes. "It's two against one. I will be gravely disappointed if we lose."

"CuTiePie doesn't lose," Hayner reminds. Kairi merely chuckles to herself, shares a look with Olette, and leaves the two behind.

"S-so what's the game plan?" Hayner asks, still slightly nervous at Olette's very presence.

"Well, what would CuTiePie do?" she asks, testing him. "Treat this like a video game. Five shots left at the top of the tower, ten minutes to get to the top, and there's two of us. How would you go about that?"

Hayner strategically assesses the situation. "I would… send one person to draw all his remaining shots while the other sneaks their way up the tower."

Olette snaps her fingers. "Exactly. If you can trick Axel into using all five shots, he'll need to wait for his sniper to recharge, giving us a five minute window to take advantage of his vulnerability."

"All right," Hayner agrees. "Let's do it."

The two disperse, and outside of the tower, Hayner initiates their plan.

"Hey, Axel!" the gamer taunts. The redhead pokes his head out of a window on the top floor and finds Hayner waving his hands over his head outside of the entrance. "Sorry to disappoint—I lasted a little longer than two minutes!" he then yells.

"Tch," Axel scoffs as he takes aim. Hayner begins to run and Axel misses his first shot by a few inches.

_One down, four to go,_ Hayner counts as he continues to run around the tower. Shots two, three and four are fired rather impulsively as planned, but shot five actually manages to graze his shoulder and hit the edge of his vital point. Hayner curses when he feels his vest vibrate and looks up at the tower with a disappointed expression. He was hoping to survive all five shots to help Olette if needed, but that was no longer possible.

In the digital space, it would've been over for him. He'd always been the lone wolf, the one to play solo, but in the realm of the physical, it wasn't over just yet. Though the concept is foreign to him, he has an actual teammate to rely on, and he hopes she can carry the rest of the mission on her own.

Halfway up the staircase, Olette hears Axel fire the fifth shot and begins to count down the minutes. She quickens her pace, hoping to beat the clock. For five minutes, Axel should have been completely vulnerable—that is, until she finds him bounding down the steps towards something with haste. Olette's eyes wander until they land on the two guns that Kairi had left behind: a factor that she and Hayner failed to take into consideration when formulating their master plan.

Axel noticeably begins to run faster towards his only saving grace, but Olette already begins to take aim with her crossbow. She lines up her first few shots, misses, but gets a feel for the weapon's reaction time. By the time Axel outstretches his hand to take hold of a gun, Olette calculates the exact position his shoulder will be in, and pulls the trigger.

Axel's vest begins to glow yellow, and all the lights in the arena turn blue for the blue team's victory.

Back in the spectator's chamber, Sora, Riku and Kairi welcome Olette and Hayner with victorious cheers while members of the red team groan in disappointment at Axel's presence. Pence, however, happily watches as his best friend shares a few well-deserved high-fives with his teammates and snaps a picture of the rare occurrence.

It seemed that the lone wolf was finally beginning to find a potential pack.

* * *

That night, back in the Disney Castle, Xion stands on the edge of her balcony, fighting exhaustion but with a satisfied smile. Geostigma may have affected her overall stamina, but for the amount of freedom that she gained somewhat ignoring that condition, exhaustion was a price she was very willing to pay.

Now that she was finally beginning to explore what the island truly had to offer, the resort now appeared as a shimmering mirage from Xion's balcony: one that promised her all sorts of adventures. Just when the summer breeze envelops her in a warm, playful embrace, Xion hears the door open behind her and finds Axel walking towards her with slow, careful steps and an expression she can't quite place. Judging by the night's festivities, she's well aware of what he's about to say next.

"I understand," she says for him. "I know why I can't come tonight."

Axel's lips slowly quiver from an unsure line into a thankful smile.

"Thanks," he says. "You know I'd love for you to be there supporting us, but… I think you've had enough excitement for one day."

"You don't need to explain, Axel," Xion assures. Her skin looks much paler than usual, but her faint, tired smile brings some warmth to her face. "I'll be fine here, really. They broadcast Battle of the Bands live on the island's website, remember? It's like I'll be there."

Axel then leans back with his arms crossed. "You're being oddly compliant about this."

Xion merely rolls her eyes. "Would you rather I fight back?"

"No," her best friend answers. "But… thank you for understanding, Xi. You know I just want to look out for you."

"I know," Xion says while approaching him. "Now go crush it out there."

"Now that I can do," Axel promises haughtily. "I'll catch you later to watch the reruns? I want to see how good I look on that stage."

Xion chuckles at his narcissism and nods. "I'll be here."

When Axel bids her one final farewell and shuts the door behind him, Xion immediately heads over to her teacup bed, pulls out a cardboard box from underneath, and pulls out a blue wig.

* * *

"Good evening Kingdom Hearts Island Resort, and welcome to the first round of Battle of the Bands!" Penelo, one of the event hosts, greets as an aerial shot of the outdoor amphitheatre is shown on the island's live broadcast. "We are here live at the outdoor amphitheatre where the Battle of the Bands competition will be held for the rest of the summer."

"As you may know, eight bands were selected by Yuna Riel, Rikku Hokkaido and Paine Matsuda to compete in this year's competition," Vaan, her co-host, reiterates. "Every week, each band will participate in a new musical challenge to test their versatility, and the one band left standing at the end of the summer will win 100,000 munny and a recording contract with Gullwing Studios."

"As this is the first round of the competition, this week's challenge was for each band to perform a song of their choice that they felt portrayed their overall personality," Penelo explains. "Right now, The Noize just wowed the crowd with their futuristic electro dance performance! I wouldn't want to mess with these guys, Vaan—they seem like the real deal!"

"Judging by the crowd's reaction, they'll be a tough act to follow," Vaan comments. "Can the The Oathkeepers, the band led by lead singer and MeTube sensation Roxas Akiyama, keep the crowd going with their upcoming performance? Tune in to find out!"

"But first, a message from our sponsors!" Penelo reminds, and the live broadcast cuts momentarily.

Backstage, Roxas watches as members of The Noize are welcomed back behind the scenes with cheers and applause from the backstage crew and other bands.

"Holy shit," is all he's able to muster when he feels Axel beside him.

"Quit worrying, Rox. We got this," Axel assures.

The lead singer of The Oathkeepers turns to look at his best friend with his jaw agape. "Did you hear what I just did? 'Cause it sounded an awful lot like our chances of winning this competition being thrown out the window. I'm surprised they didn't win the competition right then and there."

"Hey, don't say things like that!" Sora chimes. "Sure, they sounded great, but I personally think that Neku guy didn't have much personality. We, however, have plenty."

"Speak for yourself," Hayner mutters with his arms crossed.

"There's just… a lot at stake here," Roxas reasons. "We're not just trying to impress three judges anymore. This time, we have to impress thousands of teenagers, and I just… I don't want us to lose."

"Why are you adamant on winning?" Sora asks curiously. "I think the opportunity to share your passion with all these people is already something to be proud of."

Sora's words slowly begin to sink in and Roxas sighs. His overly optimistic cousin was right. If he truly wanted to succeed, he couldn't let the pressure get to him.

"Sorry, Sora," Roxas then apologizes, realizing the amount of anxiety he must have been exhibiting earlier. "You're right. Let's just have some fun out there."

"Atta boy!" Sora exclaims while bumping a fist to his chest.

"Gross. I knew I smelt Disney optimism," comes an unamused voice from behind Axel.

"Larxene!" Axel greets enthusiastically while throwing an arm around her shoulders. Behind her, the remainder of the fan base within the Disney Castle awaits to offer their support to the boys.

"I knew you'd come to support me," Axel teases while offering her an affectionate squeeze. "Kiss for good luck?"

Larxene lightly pushes his lips away with an amused smirk. "You idiot, did you forget that I was competing in this competition, too?"

"Oh, right," Axel murmurs against her fingertips.

Back with Hayner, Pence and Olette confront him with excited smiles.

"Good luck out there!" Olette cheers.

"Thank you," Hayner manages with a nod. He inwardly offers himself a high-five at the fact that he didn't stammer that time.

"I'm not going to lie, I had my doubts that you wouldn't be able to play nice with the guys," Olette confesses, "but I was really impressed by your last performance."

Beside her, Pence mouths the words "I told you so".

"Oh, and I totally dig this look," Olette compliments while physically referring to Hayner's getup with an arm wave. He, alongside the members of The Oathkeepers, was dressed in a simple getup: a white shirt, dark jeans, and a thin bomber jacket of varying colours thrown overtop for style. Hayner, in particular, rocked the army green, Sora wore navy blue, Riku sported pale purple, Axel donned burnt orange, and Roxas stood out with deep red.

"Anyways," Olette says when Hayner fails to respond to her compliment, "have fun!"

When the brunette runs off to find Kairi, Hayner turns to look at Pence with a wide smile that borders insanity.

"I am never changing out of these clothes ever again," the gamer swears.

Riku, who locks eyes with 'Alice', approaches her with a knowing smirk.

"Nice of you to come out tonight," he says.

"'Attend a concert' was on the teenage bucket list," she reminds playfully, "and it's not like I had anywhere else to be."

"I'm sure the backstage access doesn't hurt either," Riku adds.

"No," Xion agrees, "not at all."

"Oh ho ho, what's this?" Axel sings as he approaches the two with crossed arms. "This is an unlikely sight. Riku with the same girl? Somebody pinch me." Then, in a hushed whisper, "Do you need a quickie before we go out onstage? I won't judge. In fact, I encourage it. They say that doing it before a performance-"

"I think we're good, Axel," Riku insists, cutting the drummer off. Beside him, Xion's face is visibly red.

"All right, don't say I didn't warn you," Axel sings, but just when Riku and Xion think he's done with his inappropriate antics, the redhead makes a pair of scissors with his fingers and sticks his tongue through them with a wink before leaving.

For a moment, Riku and Xion share an awkward look from the corner of their eyes before chuckling nervously.

By the time Olette links up with Sora and Kairi, the latter is in the middle of presenting Roxas with a surprise. Beside the redhead, a cloaked figure removes the hood of their grey cape and causes Roxas to jump back in pleasant surprise.

"Naminé?" he exclaims, taken aback. "You made it!" he then squeals, immediately picking her up and spinning her around. "You told me you couldn't come," he whispers while setting her back down, recalling the farewell they'd shared about an hour ago.

"I wanted to surprise you," Naminé confesses with a nervous laugh.

"Well you certainly did," Roxas admits, pressing his forehead to hers affectionately.

"Look at them," Kairi says while witnessing the romantic scene a few feet away. "They're so perfect. They're like that annoyingly cute tumblr couple with the nostalgic gradient filter overtop."

"The kind with the cheesy quote edited on the side?" Sora adds with a snort. Kairi turns to look at him with a pleasant grin, almost as if she was surprised by his ability to read her so well.

"Yeah, just like that," she answers.

Beside the ex-couple, Olette observes their playful interactions with a knowing smile.

"Thank you for coming, Nams," Roxas murmurs. "It means the world to me that you're here, but…"

His girlfriend lightly places a finger over his lips before the full extent of his concern returned.

"Don't worry about me, Roxas," she assures. "I'm going to be just fine. Besides, Kairi, Olette, Pence and Riku's friend Alice are here with me! You just focus on showing them how great you are," Naminé encourages. "And if you ever get nervous, just pretend we're back in your garage in Twilight Town, recording another cover for your MeTube account. Just you and me."

For a brief moment, Roxas' heart swells as he pulls his beloved into a bone-crushing embrace. He reluctantly parts with her, but when Kairi assures him that they have everything under control, he releases his grip on her hands and salutes them farewell before starting a pre-performance huddle with the band members; however, before Sora can join the band's miniature pow wow, a figure walks past him towards the girls and sends a familiar chill down his spine, a chill that could only be induced by —

"Tidus Clearwater," Sora growls when he sees the star player of the Zanarkand Abes conversing with the girls, a redheaded one in particular.

"Let it go, Sora," Riku warns, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder in case he tried to make a run for it. "We're about to perform. Don't let him get to you."

With a defeated huff, Sora complies and allows Riku to lead him to the band huddle.

Back with Kairi, Tidus is in the middle of offering an extra spot beside him in the amphitheatre, located front and center, courtesy of being the founder's younger brother. He offers it while eyeing Kairi in particular, but from afar, the redhead had felt Sora's uncomfortable gaze and kindly declines.

"That's very kind of you, Tidus," she says graciously, "but I did promise to look after Naminé for Roxas, and I'd like to remain true to my word."

"That's understandable," Tidus answers. "The offer is still up for grabs if anyone is interested."

"Being front and center would be great for pictures," Pence points out. "Mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all man," Tidus says while clapping Pence on the back. "Hope you all enjoy the show," the blond says while bidding everyone farewell.

"He's totally crushing on you," Olette points out when the two boys are out of earshot.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kairi says, waving off the accusation.

"Oh, I wasn't just talking about Tidus," Olette teases. Beside her, Alice and Naminé giggle in agreement.

In the middle of the band huddle, four out of five boys rest their arms on each other's shoulders with Hayner being the odd exception with his arms crossed defiantly.

"All right guys, this is it," Roxas reminds, his voice shaking slightly.

"How we perform tonight determines our odds for the rest of the competition, so let's kill it out there!" Axel cheers in hopes to increase morale.

"But before we do, I'd just like to thank everyone for being a part of this," Roxas says graciously. "It's always been my dream to share my passion for music, and I'm thankful that you're all here to help make it come true for me. I never would've even gotten this far without you guys."

"Yeah, yeah, we're just here for the munny," Riku jokes with a smirk, effectively putting an end to what would have been a touching moment. Roxas merely rolls his eyes with a chuckle.

"All right, Oathkeepers on three," Sora suggests. He brings one hand to the middle of their huddle to initiate the hand stack. "One, two, three—Oathkeepers!"

"Titties!" Axel yells while raising his hand, his obnoxious voice being the only one heard apart from Sora's cheerful one. Amidst the darkness, the boys take their rightful places onstage, and Roxas walks up to the mic stand with slow strides. He takes hold of the mic, grips it, and after a deep intake of breath, nods for Axel to initiate their performance.

The redhead lets out a freakish but passionate "Ow!" and initiates the song with Riku, who intrigues the audience with a low, funk-pop bass riff that works well with Axel's danceable beat. The arc of spotlights above the stage light up, and the party hosted by The Oathkeepers begins. For the remainder of the introduction, Riku and Axel have the audience swaying and bobbing their heads, but it is ultimately Roxas' voice that steals the show. Once he brings the mic up to his lips and sings the first phrase of the song with the distinctively smooth voice that teens had only heard online, screams and synchronized claps sound from the large crowd.

Sora and Hayner eventually chime in after a few bars, their efforts adding depth to the overall performance. When they collectively build up to the chorus as a team, Roxas gains enough confidence to start interacting with both the crowd and the cameras circling the edge of the stage. He sings clearly and enthusiastically across the lane that was built across half of the amphitheatre, touching the hands of a few spectators here and there, and stops at the circle built in the very centre to sing straight to the cameras that were broadcasting his performance live. Judging by the in-tune, effortless gestures that appeared to come naturally to him, it wasn't difficult to see that Roxas was born to be onstage.

During the second verse, he introduces Riku to the crowd by walking through the lane with him side-by-side, and although the bassist's movements and demeanor were quite stiff in comparison to the lead singer, his appearance alone and the subtle winks magnified on the big screen were enough to send a few girls over the edge. And although Hayner and Axel were planted in place by their chosen instrument, their in-tune head bobbing was enough to let the crowd know they were into it.

Sora, however, was a real crowd pleaser, playing straight to the crowd, encouraging audience participation through hand claps and singing backup with his perky smile unfaltering. After the second chorus, he tosses an electric guitar in his cousin's direction, and the two run down the lane shredding on their guitars, eventually performing back-to-back at the edge and forcing every teen on their feet.

By the end of the performance, the personality of The Oathkeepers is shockingly clear: playful, sexy and charming all at once, and the crowd goes absolutely wild for it.

"Wow," Penelo comments as deafening cheers fill the arena. From the commentator's box located at the top of the amphitheatre, she and Vaan observe the crowd's reaction to the overwhelming performance. "I didn't think The Oathkeepers could retain the level of energy that The Noize had set, but that was fantastic! Listen to that crowd! I think they've set an entirely new bar for the night."

"That was very impressive," Vaan agrees. "I'm afraid The Organization is going to have to make up for two outstanding performances in a row. Find out how they've approached this week's challenge right after the break!"

Backstage, the girls watch as The Oathkeepers gather in a line and bow to the crowd, sending them gestures of appreciation that ranged from friendly high fives to air kisses, though only Axel participated in the latter. Naminé in particular watches as Roxas waves to the crowd with his eyes bright, just as she imagined he would one day. The touching moment, however, is cut short when Seifer, the lead singer of Furaifer, approaches the girls with his bandmates behind him.

"Wow, who knew The Lamekeepers would have such an attractive fanbase," Seifer says, his comment seemingly directed towards his cronies but really meant for the girls.

One look at Seifer and the words "rough around the edges" immediately come to mind. He was muscular and tall in stature, sporting attire that obnoxiously displayed the former, and although he tried to conceal it with a black beanie hat, he had an unmistakable and intimidating scar across his forehead, undoubtedly from past roughhousing.

Kairi, who immediately senses his impure intentions through his dirty smirk and wandering eyes, hardens her gaze but retains her smile to be polite.

"Who knew the lead singer of Furaifer would be such a sleazeball?" she returns, her voice sickly sweet.

" _Oh_ ," he says dramatically, his voice gruff, "this one's feisty."

"And this one's got her back," Olette says, standing next to her roommate and creating a physical wall between Seifer and what was now a shivering Naminé with a concerned Alice by her side.

"Feisty and pretty," Seifer observes, admiring the two with crossed arms. "I like that."

When Seifer begins to approach them, Kairi and Olette's narrowed eyes don't falter, but before he can take one step closer, the boys return from their performance just in time. While Sora, Roxas, Axel and Hayner head towards Seifer, Riku instinctively and protectively stands by Alice and Naminé.

"This guy bothering you, Kairi?" Sora asks, his hands in the pockets of his jeans unlike Roxas' clenched ones, ready to throw down any punches if needed. Sora, however, knew more than anyone that Kairi could stand her ground and that there would be no need for him to get into a fist fight.

"No, Sora," Kairi answers calmly. "I think Seifer was just leaving, right?" The redhead says it with an innocent smile, but it clearly isn't a question.

Sensing that he was surrounded and outnumbered, Seifer merely scoffs and begins to head back to his cronies, murmuring something along the lines of "nosy little hedgehog head" (no doubt in regards to Sora), but just when the boys think he's given up entirely, he suddenly turns around, his fist raised for a punch. As Seifer was far more brutish than the two boys, Naminé gasps and places two hands over her mouth in shock, but Sora and Roxas are quick enough to duck and dodge the attack, the latter extending his foot and tripping Seifer during his rampage. His cronies immediately rush to his side and pick him off the floor while Naminé rushes to her boyfriend's side.

"You little punks!" Seifer yells, holding the side of his face in pain while Fuu and Rai drag him away. "You'll pay for this!"

"You realize you guys probably just made an unnecessary enemy," Kairi says as Seifer's pained and embarrassed screams fade in the distance. Sora and Roxas merely shrug.

"Meh. He was asking for it," Roxas reasons while rubbing reassuring circles on Naminé's back.

"Yeah, and no one likes a bully," Sora says, bumping a fist to his chest with his signature "I'm a hero" grin.

Kairi merely rolls her eyes at his heroism, but she does it with an amused smile.

* * *

Around an hour before midnight, Kairi tosses in her bed for what feels like the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes.

She stares up at the ceiling of her Agrabah-inspired canopy bed, admiring the way the moonlight dances on the curtains that cascade around her bed like a tranquil waterfall, but groans and lets out a defeated huff when the familiar cerulean hue reminds her of a certain someone that seemed to be running through her mind all night.

She'd worked her butt off to get over him—or so she thinks.

With one accidental embrace, months of trying to get over him were washed away in an instant. One hug was all it took to send her spiralling back down. Barely two weeks in paradise, and she was already starting to feel something towards him; things that she thought she'd finally cast aside during her two semesters in boarding school, but that didn't seem to be the case. Judging by the way her heart leapt out of her chest in the Sharpshooter Arena, she knew there was something still obviously there: hidden, but certainly not lost deep within her.

But she couldn't—and wouldn't—confront it. Not when she knew the consequences.

" _I'm just saying, if distance was the only thing stopping you from being with Sora before, what's stopping you now?"_ Riku had asked her.

Kairi rolls over and stuffs her face into a pillow. The answer to that was obvious. It was the same answer that caused her to break up with him in the first place.

_Because in two months, we'll be apart again,_ she reasons melancholically. Realistically, their time together was limited. In Kairi's mind, there was no sense in pursuing something with an expiry date.

_But would you deny that those were the happiest two months of your life?_ Riku had asked her on the day she arrived, referring to the two months she'd dated Sora the year previous.

She drives her face further into the pillow and vocally expresses her frustration, though muffled. She really had to stop taking Riku's words into consideration. Just because Riku was one year older didn't particularly mean that he was wiser; in fact, his words were downright poisonous, and they were rotting her brain from the inside out.

She was being such a goof, such a teenage schoolgirl with a helpless crush, such a disgrace to the tough, independent girl she thought she'd finally become. She was… she was...

She was overthinking it.

She'd broken up with Sora for a good reason. By staying friends, they wouldn't have to face the complexities of a long distance relationship, they wouldn't have to face the complications or the longing, and they certainly wouldn't need to hurt any more than they needed to. "Friends" was a good label. "Friends" was safe. She didn't particularly _need_ romance. She just needed her #summerjams playlist, a pair of sunglasses, a cute sundress, a pair of beat 'em up sneakers that she could frolic around in, a sea-salt ice cream bar, and good company.

With a heavy sigh, Kairi gets up from her bed and enters her walk-in closet to retrieve a swimsuit from her drawers: specifically the navy blue one-piece that she used for competing. She throws it on, wraps a beach towel over her body, slips her feet into a pair of sandals and makes her way to the outdoor pool in the backyard. Night swimming always did the trick, whether it was used to calm her down, get her mind off things, or just to bask in the tranquility of it all. In this case, it would be all of the above. Something about the flow of water just helped her get her thoughts straight.

All options, however, become inapplicable when she sees the silhouette of a figure already sitting by the pool, feet dangling over the edge. The figure's back is towards her, but she needn't squint or move closer to figure out who it was. Judging by the wild hair sticking out in nearly every direction, it was undoubtedly the person she needed a break from in the first place. Kairi nearly facepalms herself in realization. Night swimming was such a Destiny Islander thing to do. She should've thought that Riku or Sora might have had the same idea.

With skilled, stealthy movements that she'd learned from years of keyblade training, Kairi begins to tiptoe away but is stopped within three steps.

"I know you're there, Kairi," she hears him say.

_Drat,_ she thinks. She was rusty.

He pats the empty space next to him, wordlessly asking her to join him, and she inwardly groans while complying. There was certainly no escaping him now.

"How did you know it was me?" she asks, plopping down next to him with their bare shoulders barely touching, just as they used to back home in Riku's backyard after school. His hands then fall to his sides to support his weight as he leans back and gazes up at the view of the fake palm trees in the castle's backyard.

"Because you're the only other person I know who would go night swimming," Sora answers, his eyes fixated to the backdrop of a starry night sky. "Either that, or it would've super awkward if it was Riku. I figured I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right, and those sounded like pretty good odds to me."

Kairi lightly chuckles at his logic. There was certainly no faulting it, but he did have a tendency to think his odds were always good regardless of probability. Optimism and faith practically ran in his veins.

A light breeze suddenly flies over them both, and from the corner of her eye, Kairi tries not to gawk at the physical display of Sora's growth over the last year. The wind blows through Sora's hair and, in a manner reminiscent to only the movies, the water droplets that were left on his skin (presumably from his recent swim) trickle down his bare chest that somewhat glistened in the moonlight. Unable to tame her curiosity, Kairi's eyes follow one droplet in particular that eventually lingers onto his stomach, where a subtle hint of abs was beginning to form.

Kairi attempts to conceal her oncoming blush but to no avail. It also didn't help that his arm, which also had some muscle forming, felt much harder against her own than it used to.

Little did Kairi know, however, that Sora was also secretly admiring her with strategically timed glances. It was the very reason he seemingly kept his gaze upwards, after all. Growing up with her on a tropical island meant that he'd seen her in swimsuits countless times over the years, but at least back then her progression had been gradual since he saw her on a daily basis. Now, he missed nearly an entire year of her… he forces himself to use the word _developments_ , because anything other than that would've caused him to venture deep into inappropriate territory, and he wasn't going to lie: the results were a little overwhelming.

Kairi had always been nothing short of beautiful in his eyes, and that she still was (if not even more so), but she was beginning to mature into a young woman, and he was but a poor boy with much left to the imagination.

"So what was it this time?" Kairi asks, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

"Huh?" Sora asks, finally turning his sights towards her with a curious expression.

Kairi, who tries to ignore how Sora's hypnotic blue eyes practically glow in the dark, clears her throat. "What made you want to go night swimming? You must have a reason."

"Oh," Sora says, kicking some water upward with both his legs like a merman. "Well... I figured that we only get two months in this paradise. Might as well enjoy it as much as we can, right?"

"Hmm," Kairi hums, leaning back in the same manner as her companion to admire the way the colourful pool lights sprinkle their surroundings in vibrant purples, greens, and blues.

"What about you?" Sora asks.

Kairi pulls her legs in protectively and hugs them, hiding her face behind her knees. What would she tell him?

_Hey Sora, I think my romantic feelings towards you are maybe resurfacing but I don't think we should address them because we would be reliving our first breakup in two months time_.

Kairi shakes her head. It would make his so-called dream of winning her back come true but simultaneously crush it, and she'd already suffered through the pain of getting over him once. She couldn't bear to do it again.

"Kairi?" he asks softly, his voice gentle against the silence. Kairi bravely raises her head to face him, immediately taking comfort in the eyes that had reassured her for years, and takes a deep intake of breath.

Sora was, above all, her best friend. She could be truthful. She had to be.

"We need to talk," she starts.

"Oh no," he says knowingly. "Why did I ask? Is it too late for me to run?"

"Sora," Kairi warns.

"I'm kidding," Sora assures playfully, "I'm all ears."

"All right, um… I know we agreed to be friends, but in order to truly do that, I think we need to establish some ground rules," she words carefully. Yes, that was a good way to word it without completely revealing what she'd really been tossing and turning about.

"Ground rules?" he repeats, his hair bouncing slightly when he cocks his head to one side in an adorable fashion. "About what?"

"About… us," Kairi answers uneasily.

"Oh," Sora says, his face visibly reddening. "What about us?"

"I, uh… given our…" Kairi clears her throat, " _past…_ I think that we should come up with some limits around each other so that we don't… you know…"

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Sora confesses.

"Please don't make me be blunt about this," Kairi pleads while squirming in discomfort.

"I think you'll have to be," Sora says while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Kairi groans, but after a sharp intake of breath, lets it out.

"We need to come up with ground rules so that we don't fall for each other over the course of the summer."

Sora blinks twice, trying to make sense of her request, and finally lets out a confused " _What?"_ after some time.

"Sora, you know why we can't," Kairi tries to explain.

"Oh, I understand your logic on that part, trust me," Sora assures, his eyes somewhat losing their saturation at what appears to be a painful memory. "I'm just… wondering how you think it will be possible when it fails from the getgo."

"How so?" Kairi asks curiously.

"Well, you said we need to come up with rules so that we don't fall for each other over the course of the summer," Sora reiterates, "but I've already failed, Kairi. In fact I... I've never stopped," he confesses, his words shaky but genuine. "All this time I've never stopped. Not even after you tore me apart."

"Sora…" Kairi mumbles, visibly flustered. The face-to-face, earnest confession hits her full force with a wave of feels, and she's unsure if she can get off.

"Now I did promise you that I would respect you by not forcing my romantic intentions on you," Sora reminds, the unexpected maturity catching the redhead off guard, "but you can't possibly ask me to hide how I really feel about you, Kairi. I don't think I can do it."

"Sora, please," Kairi pleads, taking hold of his arm.

"We _can_ make it work, you know," Sora reasons desperately, placing a large hand over hers.

Through slightly watery eyes, Kairi chuckles at his positivity even in the most heart-wrenching of moments.

"Sora, our friendship barely survived the first time," she reminds, recalling how distant and awkward their first encounter of the summer went. "I'm afraid the closer we get, the more the consequences affect our friendship, and that's not something I'm willing to give up. Not now, not ever."

"You wouldn't need to give anything up," Sora whispers. "I'll always love you, no matter what we are. Lovers, enemies, best friends, exes… though I strongly prefer the first option, if I'm being honest."

Kairi purses her lips and shuts her eyes at the words, her grip on his arm tightening. "Then if you really, truly do love me… then please try this. For me."

With a reluctant sigh, Sora mulls over her request.

"I'm only trying to save us from what would be the inevitable if we were to pursue our feelings, Sora. Please try to understand," Kairi pleads.

He did understand. He'd spent the entirety of one year trying to understand her logic, but it would take a certain level of trust to get her to understand _his_ logic without forcing it upon her. But in order to get there, he'd need boyfriend points. He'd have to comply to her silly little requests to get her back. He had to humbly demote himself to the supportive best friend before climbing back up as the boyfriend. To put things simply, he had to go backwards to go forwards. That made sense, didn't it? Things did that, didn't they?

He couldn't see her request as game over. He merely had to see it as… a side quest: one that would be tedious, but at least helpful in the future.

(He's also aware that he's suddenly treating his quest for Kairi like a video game and begins to contemplate if he's been hanging around Hayner too much).

"Sora? Hello?" Kairi asks, her hand suddenly becoming very apparent in front of his face.

"Oh, sorry," Sora apologizes.

"It's okay," Kairi assures. "I'm hoping that was a contemplative silence… which means I'm also hoping that you've thought about it?"

_Slingshots need to be pulled backwards before shooting forwards_ , Sora reminds himself, so with a reluctant sigh, he complies to Kairi's request with a slow nod…

… and immediately finds himself being pulled into a half-armed, strictly platonic hug.

"Thank you, Sora," she squeals. "You have no idea how big of a relief this is for me."

"Okay," he says, suddenly hissing when he feels one of Kairi's breasts accidentally graze his bare chest. "I'm starting the list of ground rules. No half-naked hugs, please."

Realizing that her boob was practically smushed against Sora's chest, Kairi blushes madly and immediately releases her hold on him.

"Agreed," she says while shyly tucking some hair behind her left ear. "Uh… anything else?"

"Well," Sora starts, tapping his chin in thought. "You'd have to stop being cute. Like, entirely."

Kairi crosses her arms with an angered huff. "That's so…"

"Impossible?" Sora offers with a charming grin.

" _Broad_ ," Kairi corrects. "You can't just say that, Sora. You've got to be more specific."

"Well then no smiling," Sora says with determination.

"No _smiling_?" Kairi repeats incredulously.

"Yeah. When you smile your eyes do this… twinkly thing." Sora then makes a jazz-hand motion to resemble said twinkling. "And then you just look so darn cute. It's got to go."

"Okay, how about this?" Kairi suggests, attempting to pull off the most unattractive smile that she could possibly muster with some awkward twitching at the ends.

Sora visibly holds back a laugh. "Nope. Still cute."

" _Seriously_?" Kairi drawls. "Okay, my turn then. No more… _this_!" she exclaims, abstractly referring to the space between them.

"You can't just say that, Kairi," Sora mimics. "You've got to be more specific."

"No more flirting," she specifies, "and definitely no more calling me cute."

"Okay, question about both of those," Sora begins while counting them off of his fingers. "One, is playful bantering still allowed, and two, can't friends still call each other cute without it having romantic undertones?"

"No and, because of our past, no," Kairi answers immediately.

"Fine, then _you_ come up with the rules if you're the queen of everything," Sora demands while playfully sticking out his tongue.

"Well for one, if this is going to work, you can't wear that body spray you always use," Kairi suggests, recalling how her body had always trembled at the scent.

"You realize that probably means I'm going to _smell_."

"It's better than the former," Kairi reasons. "Second, you can't…" Her eyes then wander to his shirtless form and blushes.

Sora smirks when he catches her gaze, catching Kairi off guard once again. It wasn't often that he made facial expressions that differentiated him from adorable to irresistible.

"Can't what?" he whispers, his voice low.

"Can't do that smirk," she mumbles.

"Are you sure that's what you were going to say?" Sora challenges while inching closer to her face. Kairi immediately places a hand to his shoulder to push him back lightly.

"I also decree that there should be at least one metre of distance between us at all times," Kairi requests. "Unless… you know, the situation calls for close proximity."

Sora merely raises his hands in surrender and agreement. "Okay. Anything else?"

Unable to contain herself, Kairi finally addresses the obvious with heated cheeks.

"And would it kill you to keep a shirt on at all times?" she finally blurts out.

Sora chuckles at the flustered look on her face and throws on the shirt he'd left on the nearby pool chair in compliance.

"Sorry. That was all post-breakup depression taken out at the gym with Riku," he explains when he plops back down next to her.

"You couldn't have just gotten fat?" Kairi mutters bitterly. "I'm sure that would have been much easier."

"All right, then if we're playing this game, _you_ can't wear sundresses anymore," Sora requests while lightly poking her bare arm. "And while we're at it, no skirts, high-waisted shorts, any other shorts that go above your knees, swimsuits (particularly bikinis), or tank tops."

"So basically my entire summer wardrobe?" Kairi asks, a drop of sweat threatening to fall from her forehead. Sora nods in confirmation. "What the hell am I supposed to wear then? A garbage bag?"

"Nope. Still too attractive," Sora teases.

"Gah—you're doing the flirting thing again!" Kairi calls out.

"I'm sorry!" Sora apologizes. "It just comes to me naturally, okay?"

"Then this is something we need to address," Kairi suggests. "Perhaps we need to come up with a safe word when we start to feel… attracted towards each other."

When Sora makes a face, his best friend immediately hits his arm, fully knowing what was going through his head at the mention of "safe word".

"No, you pervert. Not _that_ kind of safe word," Kairi growls.

"All right, all right," Sora agrees. "What should we say?"

"A word that we wouldn't typically use in a sentence," the redhead suggests to get the ball rolling.

"Flibbertigibbet," Sora pitches.

Kairi immediately vetoes the suggestion. "What? No. That sounds horribly unnatural."

"Bumbershoot," he tries again. When Kairi makes a disapproving face, he tries one more time. "Nincompoop?" he squeaks.

"Where did you even learn these words?" the redhead asks, though she's unsure if she truly wants to know the answer.

"Riku and I Moogled the craziest words in the dictionary last night," Sora confesses.

Kairi rolls her eyes. Sounded like business as usual with the boys. "Of course you did. Was there anything on that list that somewhat relates to our situation but doesn't include an unnecessary amount of syllables?"

"Well… there was bumfuzzle," Sora suggests.

Kairi chuckles at the way the word comes out of his mouth. It was odd, yet somewhat fitting. "What does that even mean?"

"I think it meant a lot of things," Sora answers, vaguely recalling the description. "Predominantly to be confused, but perplexed and flustered were also up there."

"Confused, perplexed, and flustered?" Kairi reiterates. "Huh. That might just be perfect."

"Then it's settled," Sora says while getting back up on his feet. He extends his hand to Kairi who is reluctant to take it at first but eventually agrees. "Would you like to do the honours?" he then asks while placing a hand on top of hers, initiating their childhood ritual.

Kairi then clears her throat in response and begins. "I hereby decree that from now on until the end of the summer, I, Kairi Hart, and you, Sora Takeuchi, will use the word bumfuzzle when we begin to feel attracted towards the other to avoid potential catastrophe and irreversible damage to our friendship. Do you agree to these terms?"

"I do," Sora answers. He then pulls his hand away and spits into his open palm. "Spit shake!"

Kairi looks absolutely disgusted when he offers his hand to her.

"Seriously?" Sora asks. "You've fully _made out with me_ but you can't have our spit touching on your hand?"

"Bumfuzzle!" Kairi scolds with an accusing finger. "No references to us dating."

Defeated, Sora drops his hand to his side and wipes the remains on the hem of his shirt.

"So this is it I guess?" Kairi asks, her expression somewhat melancholic at their agreement.

From that moment on, the course of their summer would change entirely. It would be just like old times: she, Sora and Riku would be the three musketeers, playing on a much bigger and much more lavish island than their islet back home, and she would enjoy her summer as much as she could, the possibility of being with Sora that way still lingering in the air, but never concrete. Always just an itch scratching the back of her neck, but never exactly cut.

It was a painful way to live, but it was the safe way that guaranteed the longevity of their friendship, and that was something worth aching for.

Sora's breath, however, nearly hitches in his throat at the sight of her. Outside, bathed in moonlight, she was breathtaking. One year ago, he made the mistake of letting her slip right through his fingers, but not this time. This time, he'd do anything to make her his again—even if it meant participating in her silly platonic side quest.

The two then head back inside, passing Sora's shared room on the first floor, and stand in front of the door with Sora twiddling his thumbs and Kairi's hands tied behind her back. Both rock back and forth on their heels against the silence.

"Uh, you know you're more than welcome to join me and Riku in there," Sora offers courteously. "We can build a fort out of pillows and blankets like we used to. It'll be like one of our sleepovers."

Kairi, who's eyes soften at the memory, kindly declines.

"That sounds great, but… I think it's got some potential for bumfuzzlement," she reasons.

Sora chuckles at the word and all the possibilities. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"Good night then?" Kairi asks, a playful salute at the ready.

"Good night," Sora agrees with a nod, and he wordlessly walks into his room. After shutting the door behind him, he finds Riku on the bottom bunk, still wide awake and scrolling through his phone.

"I'm back," Sora announces, "you can put the porn away now."

Riku drops his phone and raises his hands in mock surrender. "You caught me." When Sora begins to throw his belongings into his opened luggage, Riku sits up with crossed arms. "You were gone longer than usual," he observes.

"I, uh… ran into Kairi," Sora explains without making eye contact.

"Huh," Riku says, not bothering to press. Judging by his best friend's behaviour, the encounter must have been bittersweet. "You didn't give anything away, did you?" he then asks, well aware of Sora's talkative nature. "I swear, if she has even the slightest clue…"

"Calm down, she doesn't," Sora assures while throwing his bath towel over his shoulder and heading for the bathroom. "We're still good."

"Good," Riku replies while plopping his head back down to his pillow. He then raises his phone, checks the time, and grins. 12:03AM. He opens the checklist he'd been reviewing before Sora walked in and resumes his planning. At the top of the checklist sits three words.

Operation: Kairi's Birthday.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter Inspirations:** The song The Oathkeepers performed for the first round of Battle of the Bands was _Body Moves_ by DNCE. #loveit

**A/N:** Hope you're all taking care out there.


	9. operation: kairi's birthday

**Background Information:**

**TERMINOLOGY**

**Keyblade Arts:** a martial art in which the practitioner is armed with a weapon called a keyblade that can call forth magic spells. The strength and variety of said spells depends entirely on the skill and alignment (dark, neutral or light) of the user. The ranking system for practitioners is as follows:

Three belt ranks: bronze, silver, and gold  
Three tiers per belt: I, II, and III  
Highest possible rank: Master, once the Mark of Mastery exam is passed by a Gold III rank. Rankings can only be issued by Keyblade Masters.

**Keybangle:** A bangle used by practitioners of the Keyblade Arts to summon their keyblade of choice. Each bangle has a specific charm attached to it to help distinguish the different models and can be made from bronze, silver, or gold according to rank.

**Duel of Hearts:** A century-old traditional Destatiian duel during a girl's sixteenth birthday in which willing males fight for the female's hand in marriage.

**MoogleTalk:** an app that lets people communicate online via chat and video.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
IX | operation: kairi's birthday

* * *

When Kairi stirs from her slumber the following morning, she wakes with the knowledge that she's supposedly one year older but certainly doesn't feel like it.

_Seventeen_ , she thinks. The number seemed so plain, so simple, yet it entailed another year full of change and unforgettable adventures—or so she hopes. The upcoming year had a lot in store for her: senior year, the last of her varsity volleyball and swimming tournaments, college applications, prom, graduation, the works. A lot of choices made within the next twelve months could potentially alter her life path, but for the next two months, she was on Kingdom Hearts Island Resort, and she would shamelessly take advantage of her freedom while she could.

With that less pressuring thought in mind, she gets up and gets ready for the day, still feeling every bit sixteen, and slips on her favourite pink sundress before waltzing back into her room where she's welcomed back with a text. She half-expects (half-hopes?) it to be from Sora, who always managed to greet her first back home, but is surprised to find that it's from her boarding school roommate instead.

_Text received from_ **Olette** :  
Swing by my room birthday girl! :)

Kairi smiles at the text and gladly complies after slipping on a pair of sneakers. She opens her door and heads towards the elevator doors only to collide with Riku and his cleaning cart around the corner.

"This needs to stop happening," the older teen says. "Seriously, it forces me to socialize with you more than I want to."

Kairi rolls her eyes at the sass she's grown used to over the years.

"So are you eventually going to move or am I going to have to move your fat ass out of the way?" she challenges.

"Whoa," Riku says, hands raised at the insult. "Boarding school has changed you. Excuse me while I take out my depression by farting on everything in your room."

Kairi giggles and moves out of the way. "There won't be much to clean, but you go ahead and do that."

"I will," Riku says while pushing his cart down the hallway.

While watching the retreating figure of one of her best friends in the entire galaxy, Kairi cocks her head to the side in confusion. She inwardly debates if she got the date of her own birthday wrong but shakes her head when she recalls that Olette had called her "birthday girl" in her text only moments ago.

_Did he forget?_ Kairi inwardly suspects. She was never one to be prissy and expect everyone to greet her on her birthday, but from someone that she'd celebrated her last twelve birthdays with, she had to admit that it was a little odd.

_Maybe it's too early for him to tell,_ Kairi thinks, giving him the benefit of the doubt. She merely shrugs it off and heads to Olette's room on the third floor.

The brunette's room, which replicated the imperial grandeur of the palace in the Land of Dragons, was predominantly deep red and gold in colour with pillars lining up the sides, eventually converging towards a large canopy bed in the center. After walking past the gallery of ancestral relics and ancient scrolls, Kairi finds her roommate behind a curtain of bamboo shoots, putting on the last of her makeup by her vanity table.

"Kairi!" Olette exclaims when she sees the birthday girl approaching from the corner of her mirror. She immediately gets up from her seat and envelops her in a friendly hug.

"Happy birthday!" she greets enthusiastically.

"Thank you for remembering," Kairi says graciously while returning the embrace.

"Remember? How could I forget?" Olette asks while pursing her lips to spread her lip gloss.

"Not sure," Kairi answers with a shrug, "maybe you should ask Riku."

Olette gasps slightly at the mention of the older teen's name and the accusation behind it. "Did he forget?"

"I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that it's too early to tell," Kairi reasons while making her way to Olette's bedside couch. "I don't think teenage brains reach full functionality until 12 p.m. anyways—unless, of course, they're as brilliant as yours."

"Oh, you," Olette says while plopping down next to her roommate.

"So what did you call me here for?" Kairi asks in a singsong voice.

"For your present obviously," the brunette squeals.

"What? Lette, I told you that you didn't have to get me anything," Kairi groans. "I appreciate the gesture, but still."

"Well I technically didn't get you a _thing_ ," Olette reasons. "Instead, I figured I'd give you experiences! I've scheduled a pamper session at the castle spa with the girls and signed us up for an online cake baking class!"

Kairi's heart warms as she pulls her roommate in for another hug. "Aww, Lette, that sounds perfect. Thank you."

"No problem!" she insists. "Now, shall we get started?"

* * *

After two hours of some well-deserved pampering at the spa with Olette, Xion and Naminé, Kairi finds herself entering the kitchen for their cake baking class with a pleasant surprise.

"Happy birthday Kairi!" Roxas and Axel sing in unison. Beside them, Kairi can make out the faintest "happy b-day" from Hayner and five cake-baking stations with the appropriate tools and tablets with cake baking instructions. Behind the stations, shelves upon shelves of baking ingredients nearly tower over the kitchen, and a set of nearly a dozen ovens sat just adjacent to it.

"What the heck are you guys doing here?" Kairi asks the boys, albeit with a pleased smile.

"Well first of all, we're sorry that we didn't know it was your birthday today," Roxas confesses sheepishly, "otherwise, we totally would've gotten you something."

"Oh please, don't even worry about that!" Kairi insists. "I'm just glad you're all here to celebrate with me now."

"Which brings me to my second point," Roxas says while holding up two fingers. "Did you girls really expect to have a cake party without us? The least we could do is tear this kitchen apart with you."

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that," a familiar voice chimes from the kitchen entrance. The teens turn their sights to the door where they find Riku leaning against the doorframe with Sora standing behind him, both clad in their work uniforms.

"Sora's a pretty good baker," Riku vouches as the two enter the kitchen.

"Riku…" Sora mumbles with somewhat tinted cheeks.

Kairi giggles into the palm of her hand at Sora's embarrassment. Over the years she'd come to learn that his mom was a fantastic baker, and although he was often embarrassed by it, he'd certainly inherited her skills if not nearly surpassed them with all the help he'd offered her in the kitchen. He'd also never admit it out loud (not without reddening cheeks, that is), but she knew that he actually quite enjoyed it. Desserts simply made people happy, and Sora was always one to encourage smiles.

"Why would you be ashamed of that, Sora?" Kairi hears Axel ask when she tunes back into reality. "Chicks dig a guy who can cook— don't you, ladies?"

While Naminé, Xion and Olette nod encouragingly, Kairi merely clears her throat, but luckily Riku breaks the awkward silence by approaching the redhead with a shameful expression.

"So it turns out that I was an asshole earlier," he confesses while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Only earlier?" Kairi teases with her arms crossed. In the background, Roxas and Axel _ooh_ dramatically.

"I'm sorry that I forgot that it was your birthday," the older teen specifies. "But for the record, you have this guy to blame."

At the words "this guy", Riku shamelessly points an accusing finger at Sora.

"Wow, Riku. Way to put me on blast," Sora says while scratching his tinted cheeks.

"Sora, really?" Kairi asks, teetering between both disappointment and amusement. She certainly wasn't expecting that from the first guest to arrive at every single one of her birthdays celebrated on Destiny Islands.

"Tell her your reasoning," Riku then suggests while stifling a laugh.

Sora lowers his gaze when he feels everyone's scrutinizing eyes on him.

"Well, uh… Kairi's birthday was on a Friday last year," Sora starts, "which means it should've been on a Sunday this year 'cause you're supposed to skip a day in the week the following year, right?"

The brunet shamefully hides his face in his hands when everyone in the kitchen openly chuckles at his flawed logic, Kairi inclusive.

"Sora, you only skip a day if it's a leap year," Olette explains with an amused smile. "In any other case, her birthday would fall on the consecutive day of the week the following year. So if her birthday was on a Friday last year, it would be on a Saturday this year."

"Which it is," Riku adds cheekily, adding salt to the wound.

To fight back, Sora lightly pokes his best friend in the chest. "For the record, who's stupider—me, for having the flawed logic to begin with, or you, the one who believed me?"

"Touché," Riku admits.

"Anyway," Roxas interjects, effectively placing an end to Sora's shaming, "now that we've established that it really is Kairi's birthday today, how about we all bake her a cake to celebrate, huh?"

"Sounds good to me," Sora says while bumping a fist to his chest.

"All right, everybody pair up and choose a station!" Olette suggests. "And I call dibs on the birthday girl!"

While Sora hangs his head low in more shame for not calling dibs on Kairi earlier, Hayner crosses his arms and immediately questions the purpose of the activity when everyone disperses.

"Hold on, wait a second," the gamer demands. "We're just supposed to have fun baking cakes into the sunset and live happily ever after for the next two hours?"

"Hayner," Pence warns disapprovingly.

"No, I see where he's going with this," Axel says while walking towards his station with Roxas. "We need some stakes here; some incentive to actually try and not just dick around."

" _Exactly_ ," Hayner confirms.

"Seriously? The fact that it's someone's birthday isn't enough for you?" Roxas asks incredulously. "Not to mention the fact that you'll get a potentially delicious cake out of it, too."

"No Roxas, it's okay," Kairi assures when she reaches her shared station with Olette. "I think a friendly cake-baking competition will be fun."

"If the birthday girl decrees it, then so it shall be," Olette says dramatically. "It's settled then: the team with the best cake baked and decorated within the next two hours will win! Kairi, do you have any rules or anything to specify at all before we begin?"

"Just no inappropriate cakes," the birthday girl decrees, her request directed more towards her fellow redhead who was more than likely to create a cake in the shape of male genitalia.

"Fair enough," Olette giggles. "And what will the victorious team win exactly?"

"Hmm," Kairi hums while tapping her chin. "I'll buy each member of the winning team a sea-salt ice cream bar every day for the next week. Sound good?"

After two seconds of silence, everyone in the kitchen immediately rushes to their stations and begins to gather all their required equipment and ingredients, the sound of clanging metal resonating throughout the entire kitchen.

"We got this in the bag," Sora says while throwing a sack of flour onto their counter.

"I don't know man," the brunet hears Hayner say from the station behind him. Beside the gamer, Pence begins watching the baking tutorials on their tablet.

"I may be a gamer, but I played Cooking Papa nonstop for like a week," Hayner explains. "Pence and I _got this_."

"Something tells me that those skills won't translate into an actual kitchen," Riku points out a matter-of-factly.

"Eat a dick," Hayner says darkly.

For the next two hours, the teens are hard at work on their edible masterpieces, some with more difficulty than others, and start to feel the pressure within the last twenty minutes. Kairi, however, doesn't fail to notice how calm Sora is during the storm. At the baking station right next to hers, the brunet is in the zone while adding the finishing touches to his and Riku's impressive two-tier cake with a blissful smile on his face. Catching herself staring, Kairi then tries not to think about how adorably focused her ex-boyfriend looks and turns her sights back to her much less elaborate cake.

The timer eventually rings, and everyone in the kitchen drops their tools with exasperated sighs. They line up their cakes at a display table in the front of the kitchen and watch in anticipation as the birthday girl examines them for both their aesthetic appeal and taste.

The first cake, created by Olette and Kairi herself, was a one-tier chocolate cake that paid homage to Kairi's love for both Disney and the colour pink. The dessert, which was in the shape of Minnie Mouse's head, had a matching pink bow atop her head fashioned with fondant and white polka dots. The chocolate taste was good, but certainly not anything special.

The second cake, which was created by Roxas and Axel, takes Kairi by surprise as it certainly wasn't in the shape of something crude as she had originally anticipated. Instead, they had taken a doll of Ariel from the Little Mermaid (undoubtedly because of Kairi's hair colour) and attempted (key word attempted) to create a dome-shaped cake for the floor-length skirt of her ballroom dress, and while they had succeeded in executing the overall idea, the icing on the cake blends together into a mushy, abstract mess; however, in fairness, she expected nothing more from amateur teenage bakers and takes a bite of the cake. The strawberry taste was definitely there, but overall a little too sweet for her tastes.

In contrast, Naminé and Xion's cake took all the points for aesthetic quality. Their two-tier cake was carefully wrapped in white fondant, and overtop, Naminé had painted two elaborate suitcases that made the cake appear more three-dimensional.

"We heard that you like to travel," the artist explains timidly, and Kairi applauds them for their efforts. She takes a bite of the cake and appreciates the mocha flavour with a pleasant hum. She mentally notes that their cake is in the lead.

The birthday girl then arrives at Hayner and Pence's cake, which appears to be a plain circular vanilla cake with pink icing neatly piped around the rim, but on top, the boys had added dark grey stripes in the pattern of a volleyball, and Kairi smiles at the thoughtfulness. She excitedly takes a bite… and immediately spits it out.

"I'm so sorry," Kairi apologizes when Sora brings her a glass of water while holding back a laugh. "I didn't mean to react that way. The taste just… surprised me a little."

"I _told_ you we shouldn't have added layers of sour cream," Pence scolds.

Axel nearly pukes. "Why the hell would you use sour cream instead of icing?"

"A great chef always experiments," Hayner reasons with confidence.

"Yeah, well, it was clearly a fail this time," Sora points out. He narrowly dodges the spatula aimed for his head.

The best, as they always say, was saved for last, and Sora and Riku's masterpiece certainly exhibited that. The elaborate two-tier cake clearly steals the show with carefully iced ocean waves strategically piped and spray painted with different shades of blue to mimic the gradient effect of water. To top it off, a small patch of sand is delicately sprinkled with sugar and finished with a familiar bent paopu tree, all carefully crafted with fondant and nimble, experienced fingers that only Sora could possibly possess.

Not wanting to ruin the presentation, Kairi carefully slices a small piece from the back of the cake and pops the treat into her mouth. She nearly moans in delight at the taste. The paopu shortcake was fluffy, delicate, and tart, and best of all, it reminded her of home in every aspect. It wasn't too sweet nor over the top, and while Naminé and Xion's cake had won aesthetic appeal, Sora and Riku's won overall.

When the boys' victory is announced, Kairi approaches Sora with a half-smile.

"I think we need to add baking to the list of things you can't do around me," she warns lightheartedly.

"I suppose Axel was right then," Sora says with a subtle wink that only Kairi could see. "Chicks can dig a guy who can cook."

He quickly dodges the second spatula thrown at his head that same afternoon.

* * *

As Kairi had expressed that she just wanted to relax on her birthday, the remainder of the day is spent lounging poolside in the castle's backyard on daybeds, sipping on a few mocktails mixed by Riku and playing games of water volleyball to celebrate. Per Kairi's request, Sora keeps his shirt on during the few matches that he participates in and avoids answering any questions despite everyone's amusement.

Before she knows it, it's nearly time to retire for the day, and after thanking everyone for celebrating her day with her, Kairi heads back up to her room for a quick shower, changes into her pyjamas, and plops down on her bed with a sigh.

She could say it was a birthday well spent, but she couln't help but feel like something was missing, and it certainly didn't help that she knew exactly what (or who) it was.

For the entire day, there was something off about Sora. She couldn't quite place what it was, but there was something definitely different about him. He seemed rather distant around her, and now that she thought about it, he hadn't even greeted her happy birthday despite the amount of time he'd spent with her since the cake baking contest. For someone who had attended her last twelve birthdays and often greeted her first, it certainly seemed strange that he forgot. She surely wasn't expecting a grand surprise, but a simple greeting from her best friend would've sufficed.

Kairi sighs, rolls over, and buries her face into a pillow.

Perhaps Sora had taken their agreement last night a little too seriously. She was well aware that she emphasized that they should be friends, but not greeting her on her special day must have crossed some sort of line. She hates herself for thinking it, but for a brief, fleeting moment, she allows herself to admit that she actually kind of misses having Sora's special attention… and immediately scolds herself for thinking such a thing.

Her sights then drift onto the silver charm bracelet she had placed on her nightstand earlier, and the accessory immediately sparks a memory from the year before. She probably should've stowed it away somewhere as he was the one who had given it to her, but as he was always a part of her, she couldn't help but keep it close despite their circumstances. Kairi then closes her eyes as her thoughts drift onto her sixteenth birthday, which proved to be much more eventful.

* * *

**Destiny Islands, one year ago, 6:43PM**

In the foyer of a lavishly decorated venue, Reno, one of the mayor's trusted guards, approaches a newly sixteen-year-old Kairi Hart with rather exciting news.

"Kairi, he's here," he informs.

The birthday girl's eyes immediately light up at the news and politely excuses herself from the event helpers she had just been conversing with to address what Reno had just told her.

"Thanks for the heads up Reno!" Kairi thanks as she hastily makes her way to the venue's entrance.

The venue, which overlooked the island as it was located on the west side of the tropical mountain, was decorated with luxurious decorations of pink and silver to honour the sixteenth birthday of none other than the mayor's only daughter. Back on Destiny Islands, it was customary to celebrate a young woman's coming of age in her sixteenth year. It was a night that would pay homage to old Destatiian traditions, most of which Kairi willingly agreed to for both herself and her parents, given that they included some modern twists. She may not have been Destiny Islands born, but she did love home and found its unique traditions rather fascinating.

The birthday girl, who just reaches the edge of the stone-built steps, watches as a familiar blue scooter begins to pull into the front of the venue. Once it comes to a complete stop, the driver removes their helmet to reveal their unruly brown hair and immediately drops it at the sight of her.

As Kairi carefully descends the staircase, Sora's breath hitches in his throat. He finds himself so distracted by her that he hardly notices valet pick up his helmet and drive his scooter away.

Kairi, who looks even more breathtaking than ever, is dressed in a rosy pink dress that flows just past her knees in a manner that's both sweet and flirtatious. It appears to be strapless at first, but an illusion neckline gives the simple piece the extra push it needs for Sora's jaw to drop. Her hair, which is fashioned into a classy and wavy half-updo, elegantly frames her fresh-looking face with makeup that enhances her natural beauty. Accessory-wise, she wears a dainty silver tiara on her head, a thin silver belt around her waist to accentuate her curves, and matching silver flats that allow her to skip down the steps without any trouble. One of the traditions later in the night, however, would force Kairi to change into high heels, and Sora can already imagine her wobbling down the staircase with discomfort.

Sora almost laughs at the mental image. She just became a tier one gold belt in the Keyblade Arts but had still yet to master the art of high heels.

"Kairi, you look beautiful," he compliments when she finally reaches the final step.

"Really?" she asks, tucking some strands of her claret hair behind her left ear with a blush. "I think you clean up rather well yourself," she then says, admiring his formal getup.

Sora, who's dressed in a pastel blue dress shirt, formal navy blue vest, matching slacks, and a maroon-coloured bow tie secured around his neck, scratches the back of his head with embarrassment. Truth be told, he was more of a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy, but it was Kairi's special day. He then locks eyes with her for a brief moment and he instantly knows that she knows what he's thinking.

He wants to kiss her.

He can tell, because she's giving him the same expectant look, but they both know they can't. Not when no one but Riku knew about them. They had just admitted their feelings for each other last week, so labels were still out of the question, but they at least knew how they felt towards each other, and for now, that was more than enough.

"So… are you excited to change into your heels?" he decides to ask teasingly.

Kairi's face scrunches at the reminder. "You may need to carry me for the second half of the night."

The redhead blushes even harder when Sora boldly takes her hand after doing a quick scan of the premises.

"I really don't have a problem with that," he then whispers as he rubs his thumb across her palm affectionately. Kairi shudders at the open display of his affections and nearly leans into his touch if it weren't for an unexpected interruption.

"Augh," a familiar male voice says behind the—almost—couple with disgust. "If I'm going to have to deal with your googly eyes the entire night, count me out."

While Kairi giggles at the sassy comment, Sora frowns at the third pea in their best friend pod.

"Dude, really? Way to kill the moment," the brunet grumbles. Riku merely shrugs as he approaches the celebrant and outstretches his arms for a hug.

"Happy birthday, Kairi," he greets.

"Thank you, Riku," Kairi says as she pulls away from their embrace with a gracious smile. "And thank you for not showing up in a muscle shirt," she adds jokingly as she takes in his pastel yellow dress shirt, patterned tie, classy low ponytail and matching dark grey vest and slacks.

"I figured I'd let the guns rest for the night," the older teen returns with a smirk.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're both here early," Kairi squeals while hooking her arms around each of the boys' arms. As the three ascend the staircase, the birthday girl tightens her grip on them even more. "Your company will make my blubbering relatives much more bearable. I swear, if I see anybody burst into tears because I'm growing up too fast one more time, I'm going to lose it."

"Don't forget the other dignitaries' snobby children," Riku reminds cheekily, recalling that the position of Kairi's father often attracted dignitaries from other worlds whose children were rather... eccentric.

"Yeah, let's hope we don't get too many of those," Sora adds.

Just as the three arrive halfway up the staircase, a friendly honk from a car behind them catches their attention. The three turn their heads to find their Keyblade masters pulling into the front of the venue.

"Hey guys!" Sora's master, Ventus, greets excitedly from an opened window on the back seat. Beside him on the passenger's side, Kairi's master, Aqua, opens both her door and Ventus' as the latter appears to be struggling with the lock. In the driver's seat, Riku's master Terra currently hands his keys over to valet.

"Happy birthday, Kairi!" Aqua greets as she, Ventus, and Terra, all clad in formal attire with presents in hand, approach their pupils with wide smiles.

"Oh, I'm so glad you all could make it!" Kairi exclaims as she skips down a few steps to meet them.

"Look at you," Aqua says as she takes her student into her arms. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

"Yeah, you look really pretty, Kairi," Ventus compliments when it's his turn to grace the celebrant with a hug who offers him a muffled 'thank you' when she buries her face into his shoulder.

"What about me?" Sora asks, feeling left out from a few steps higher. "Don't I look pretty, too?"

While Terra and Riku share a knowing look and roll their eyes simultaneously, Aqua chuckles at the childlike demeanor that both Ventus and Sora often displayed.

"Yes, Sora, you're pretty too," Aqua offers kindly. When Sora offers her a pleased, toothy grin, his master runs up to him to ruffle his already messy hair.

"Well, what are we all waiting for?" Ventus asks. "Let's get this party started!"

Nearly two hours later, after the opening remarks are made and the delicious five-course meal is served and thoroughly enjoyed, Kairi and her guests participate in the first Destatiian tradition of the evening (apart from the locally-sourced food, of course). The first tradition, otherwise known as The Treasures, featured sixteen guests selected by the celebrant, eight of which were female and the other half male, and all of which were seen as trusted mentors that would provide the celebrant with advice and "tools" in her journey to adulthood.

The celebrant's mother, of course, initiates this tradition and is followed by relatives and close family friends (Ventus, Terra and Sora and Riku's parents inclusive), and Aqua, Kairi's most trusted mentor, is the last to offer her gift and wisdom. She presents Kairi with her first golden keybangle as a newly honoured tier one gold belt and proudly slips the well-deserved bangle onto her student's wrist. The bangle, which has a paopu-shaped charm attached, glistens in the light as Kairi admires it with anticipation. Fully knowing what she desired, Aqua merely nods in approval, and her student summons the keyblade in a flurry of lights and causes the crowd to 'ooh' and 'ahh' in fascination.

"It's called Destiny's Embrace," Aqua explains as her student admires the make of the blade. "May it serve as a reminder of your discipline and how it has helped shape you into the modest and independent young woman you're already becoming; a reminder of home and that you are never alone; a reminder to embrace both your destiny and your future, which has always been so bright."

The crowd erupts into applause as Kairi dismisses the keyblade and crashes into her master's chest with thankful, tear-filled eyes.

The second tradition starred Kairi and six of her hula sisters from her preteen days performing a traditional coming of age Destatiian dance, their symbolic moves corresponding with the song's story of a young girl transitioning into a young woman. Dressed in her traditional patterned bandeau, hula skirt, and floral crown, Kairi and her sisters perform gracefully and earn a standing ovation from the crowd, particularly from Sora who whistles the loudest.

Fully knowing that the third tradition was the one most dreaded by the celebrant, Sora and Riku ready their phones when Kairi finishes changing back into her dress and takes her place in the center of the dance floor. Her parents remove her flats to replace them with silver heels so tall that they cause the redhead to wobble in discomfort just as Sora had imagined, and the two zoom in when the redhead nearly falls over on her third step. With the changing of shoes, Kairi also makes the transition from little girl to young woman, and while she offers her applauding guests kind smiles and grateful waves, she hardens her gaze at the boys in particular who merely chuckle at her misery.

After the cutting of the elaborate three-tier cake baked and decorated by Sora's mother, the guests enjoy their dessert as an ancient Destatiian fire dance is performed by Sora, Riku, Terra, Ventus, and twelve traditional male islanders in loose-fitting black pants, each dancer representing a candle and strong pillar of support for the celebrant. Afterwards, the guests emotionally prepare themselves for the final tradition. The father daughter dance, which was always a tear-jerker, was performed splendidly by Kairi and her father despite the former's discomfort in heels.

When their dance finally comes to an end, Kairi curtseys as her father bows while removing the red rose that was in the chest pocket of his blazer the entire night. Kairi fully expects him to hand her the rose as they'd discussed, but instead, he keeps the rose with him as he walks towards the podium, and Kairi's heart skips a beat at what it insinuates. She wordlessly returns to her seat (throne, more accurately) which was situated just behind him and prays that he doesn't honour what was truly supposed to be the final tradition of a Destatiian girl's sixteenth birthday.

"Good evening everyone," the mayor greets as he addresses every guest in the room. "Thank you all for attending my daughter's coming of age birthday tonight. I think I speak on behalf of my entire family when I say that it means the world to us that you're all here to celebrate what is considered a very significant milestone in our culture." The crowd applauds at his words and Kairi nearly sighs in relief, but the mayor kindly raises his hand to continue his speech. "However, there is one final tradition that I wish to honour before we end tonight's festivities."

" _Father_ ," Kairi verbally whines. She catches her father glance at her from the corner of his eye with an amused grin, though she can't say she's a hundred percent surprised. He was her father, after all, and he did love to embarrass her from time to time.

"As you all may know, this rose is supposed to symbolize my daughter's readiness for romance," the mayor explains. While some guests 'ooh' suggestively at this information, the three keyblade masters chuckle at Sora's _very_ red face. "Love, much like a rose, is delicate," the mayor continues to explain as he twirls the flower in his hand, "and also potentially thorny." The room chuckles at the implications of the latter. "Centuries ago, our ancestors have always honoured the meaning of this rose in a tradition called the Duel of Hearts."

While the guests from Destiny Islands whisper amongst themselves knowingly, Sora and Riku cock their heads to the side in both confusion and curiosity. While they certainly paid attention in history class (more so the latter than the former, admittedly), they never recalled learning about the tradition in question. Kairi, however, hides her face in her hands at the mention of the three dreaded words.

"What's the Duel of Hearts?" Sora asks his master innocently.

"You'll see," Ventus sings.

"The Duel of Hearts is a century-old traditional Destatiian duel during a girl's sixteenth birthday in which willing males fight for the celebrant's hand in marriage," the mayor explains. "The duel, whose method is typically selected by the celebrant's father, ends with the victor receiving the rose as a symbolic passing of the celebrant's love."

Snickers sound from the teenage guests at this while the adults settle for hushed chuckles. Sora and Riku's jaws, however, fully drop and their masters actively have to shut their mouths for them.

"The strictness of the tradition has evolved over the years, of course, but is still practiced in some areas on Destiny Islands," Kairi's father continues. "My daughter, however, thinks she deserves the right to choose for herself, and while I wholeheartedly side with her in that regard, I am also a man of tradition, so I think that we should somewhat honour this tradition tonight. With that in mind, here are my conditions: the victor of tonight's duel will win this rose and not my daughter's hand in marriage, but a kiss. That being said, do we have any worthy suitors willing to fight for my daughter?"

Without any shame or hesitation whatsoever, Ventus immediately pushes his student forward.

"Wait, _what_?" Sora wheezes when he stumbles onto the dance floor. The crowd, particularly the friends from school that Kairi had invited, chuckle at Sora's confusion. The birthday girl herself turns about as red as her hair when she locks eyes with him.

"Are there any others that wish to participate in tonight's duel, or will Sora Takeuchi win by default?" the mayor asks while raising the rose for all to see.

After not-so-discreetly clearing his throat, Terra shoves Riku forward. The crowd nearly erupts with laughter as the two boys face each other with frightened expressions.

"Is there anyone else?" Kairi's father repeats. The remainder of the teenage boys raise their hands in surrender. The ones from school were especially aware that Sora and Riku were both incredibly well-trained in the Keyblade Arts, and there was certainly no messing with that.

"Very well. Worthy suitors, please step forward," the mayor requests. As requested, Sora and Riku both take a few awkward steps forward. From the corner of his eye, Riku catches Terra discreetly tapping his knee, and he gets the message and symbolically gets down on one knee, forcefully bringing Sora down with him.

"Sora Takeuchi and Riku Kenbishi," the mayor greets. He almost laughs at the looks on their faces. As his daughter's closest friends, he was always used to seeing smiles on their faces, not mortified expressions. "As you are both practitioners of the Keyblade Arts, I decree that your duel shall reflect just that. Do your masters agree to this?"

While Terra settles for an amused nod, Ventus punches an energetic fist into the air and follows it with an enthusiastic "yeah"!

Twenty minutes later, outside in the venue's rectangular stone courtyard, the guests await the upcoming battle between Sora and Riku, both of which have changed into the battle garments and protective gear that their masters had provided for them. On the sidelines, the traditional fire dancers from earlier stand with battle drums at the ready to honour tradition, heighten the mood, and increase morale.

On one end of the spacious courtyard, Sora accepts his golden keybangle from his master with skittish eyes.

"You knew this was going to happen," Sora says, and it's not a question.

Ventus merely shrugs with a guilty grin. "Maybe."

On the other side of the yard, Terra watches as Riku tightens one of his protective gauntlets with a grunt.

"I can't believe you're making me do this," his student growls.

"We've watched you and Sora fight for Kairi's affections for years," Terra reasons as he hands Riku his keybangle. "We just wanted to finally watch it come to fruition."

"More like conclusion. If we're strictly talking romantic affections, then we both know that I've already lost that battle, Terra," Riku says when he turns his sights to Kairi, who spectates the match beside her parents and Aqua at the top of the stone staircase. She graces him with a supportive glance, but she can't help but lock her gaze onto Sora in particular, and Riku notices.

"Perhaps," Terra agrees with a heavy sigh. Then, with a supportive pat on the shoulder, "However, I am certain that I've trained you well enough to at least win this battle. Do your best, kiddo."

"Will do," Riku affirms with a nod. After wishing their students well, Ventus and Terra step out of the arena, leaving the two boys behind.

"Are both competitors ready?" Kairi's father asks from the top of the staircase. Both boys nod in confirmation. "Very well then. May the Duel of Hearts… begin!"

The drums immediately sound at the mayor's instruction, and like any other Keyblade tournament or sparring match that they've actively participated in, the two boys bow in respect before summoning their keyblades, Sora's Oathkeeper and Riku's Way to Dawn gleaming in hand. The two then form the stance they're most accustomed to, share a mutual nod, and begin to charge at each other from opposite ends of the courtyard.

Going for the immediate offensive, Sora jumps upward and kicks an arc of fire in Riku's direction, but his best friend easily deflects it and bombards him with a series of ice shards in return. With calculated movements, Sora stops his advances and manages to block each shard with master precision, but he nearly loses his footing when he realizes that Riku is already right in front of him, his keyblade in mid-swing. Sora throws up his Oathkeeper just in time to block the vertical slash, their blades singing upon contact, and manages to throw him back after a few retaliating hits.

Back on the offensive, Sora readies a thundaga spell and immediately calls forth streaks of lightning headed for Riku's direction, but the older of the two sees it coming. Riku performs a series of strategic backflips to dodge them and catches Sora completely off guard during his last flip, which somehow transitions into a horizontal spin in mid air that unexpectedly sends forth a powerful aeroga spell that knocks the brunet to the ground.

As Sora quickly performs a kip-up to get back on his feet, the crowd applauds at the impressive turnaround while Kairi feels her heart tighten in her chest.

"Come on Sora!" Ventus cheers from the sidelines, and Sora acknowledges his master's support with a determined nod.

He charges at Riku, their blades meeting once again, and tries to overwhelm him with an onslaught of swift hits that his best friend blocks with little to no effort. They'd trained together for years, and Riku was well aware that Sora had a pattern, and he knew it well. For a few moments all that can be heard are the drums, the clanging of metal, and a few battle cries, but in the middle of the brawl, Sora eventually finds an opening and suddenly dismisses his keyblade mid-swing, taking Riku aback, and immediately calls it back while performing a dodge roll to hit his best friend right in the back.

" _Yeah_ , that's my boy!" Ventus screams. Beside him, Terra only shakes his head disapprovingly and with embarrassment at Ven's behaviour.

Once Riku finally regains his balance from the unexpected hit, he turns around to face Sora once more and watches as he winks at Kairi from afar. The redhead chuckles lightly at the gesture, and the sight causes an even more unexpected pang in Riku's chest.

He thought that he'd finally let her go.

He thought that he could eventually be okay with it, but thinking it and experiencing it firsthand were two different things entirely. Years of yearning for her affections and losing them to his own best friend hit him full force, and suddenly, he begins to feel his blood boil. He readies his keyblade, a firaga spell at the ready, but surprises even himself when the flames begin to transition into a deadly blue colour. From the sidelines, the eyes of the three keyblade masters widen at the sight.

Sensing the abnormal magic, Sora returns to the battle with his weapon raised but is completely bewildered by the strength of Riku's spell. He tries to deflect it with his own fire, but his orange flames are no match for Riku's blue ones. Wave after wave, Sora struggles just to stay on his feet, but Riku finally delivers the final blow with an arc of fire that brings Sora down on all fours, his Oathkeeper tossed aside with a loud _clang_.

The brunet tries to dismiss and re-summon the blade, but before he can do the latter, Riku already places the edge of his Way to Dawn on his neck: the signal that everyone understood as the one to surrender or yield during a keyblade match. With a defeated sigh, Sora raises his hands and offers his best friend a congratulatory nod, just as he had many times before as losing to him wasn't a seldom occurrence, and crowns him as the victor of the night's duel.

The crowd applauds at the remarkable display of technique, and per the mayor's instruction, Riku makes his way up the staircase to claim his prize.

"Riku Kenbishi, you are the winner of the Duel of Hearts," Kairi's father announces while handing the silver-haired teen the red rose. "You may claim a kiss from my daughter."

With a blush very evident on his cheeks, Riku makes his way over to Kairi who looks up at him with admiration in her eyes, but not the kind of admiration that she looked at Sora with. It was a platonic, brotherly kind of love and admiration in her eyes, and for a moment, he not only thinks, but believes that he can eventually be okay with that.

Perhaps this was why Terra had him fight in the first place. Not to fight for her, but for himself to start letting her go. Riku then glances behind him at Sora, who stands abandoned in the middle of the courtyard with his eyes hard. The older teen then smiles to himself, fully aware that he wasn't the real victor of the night's duel, and accepts his fate. Any love from Kairi, he then thinks, was more than worthwhile, and without further ado, he lowers himself to level with her and plants a friendly kiss on her cheek, and the crowd goes wild at the display of affection.

In the middle of the cheers, Kairi's parents don't fail to notice that Sora still claps for the success of his best friend despite his own loss.

Half an hour later, when majority of the party dies down and all that's left are a few lingering guests and the cleaning crew of the venue, Riku stands on the edge of the empty courtyard, overlooking the island and admiring it in the moonlight. It isn't until he hears footsteps behind him that Riku tears his eyes away from the scenery.

"What was that?" Terra asks while throwing his hands into his pockets and taking in the view.

"What was what?" Riku asks, playing dumb. Terra only gives him a hard, knowing look.

"Those were dark auras earlier," he observes, though somewhat fascinated.

Riku only sighs, knowing that there was no hiding from his master of all people.

"I know," the teen admits weakly. "I couldn't control it. I'm sorry."

Unlike Ventus and Aqua, Terra wasn't one to show much physical affection, so he takes his student aback by placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I understand," Terra assures.

"You… you do?" Riku asks, surprise very evident in his voice. Of the three masters, his was admittedly the one that exhibited "tough love", but it did succeed in serving its purpose.

"I do," Terra repeats. "As a teenager, I understand that it's easy to be overdramatic about things. Everything can seem like the end of the world, and concepts that may be foreign to you, such as romance, can get really frustrating. I can't blame you for losing control. Failure is a part of growing up, Riku."

"Then I should fail more often?" his student jokes with a half-hearted laugh.

"You should, actually," Terra reiterates. "Failure helps build character, and I'm not sure if you know this, but you're a lucky guy, Riku. You have people that care for you more than you know, and you're incredibly gifted. You have wisdom and talents well beyond your years, and you excel in everything you do—so much that it's pissed Sora off on more than one occasion. But that's how your friendship works, you see. You learn from each other, and he works harder because of you. And just because he got the girl doesn't mean you should lash out or doubt your self-worth."

"Easy for you to say when you got the girl," Riku mutters, referring to his master's girlfriend Aqua.

Terra only chuckles. "Yes, but if you don't think we had to go through some rough patches to make it happen, then you've got another thing coming." The brunet then taps Riku's chest lightly. "Don't forget who you are, Riku. Strength of the heart will allow you to preservere through the toughest of times. Don't forget that."

Riku only remains silent, allowing the wise words of his master to sink in just as they had many times before. Often times he provided guidance that his parents never could, so he always held Terra in high regard as his honorary older brother.

Little did Riku know, however, that it would be the last pep talk he shared with his master before he willingly threw all his teachings away.

Back with Sora and Kairi, the latter bids farewell to the last of the dignitaries in the foyer with the former by her side.

"Your cheekbones must be killing you," Sora says while observing Kairi's gritted teeth as she waves at the retreating figures that turn to grace her with a final smile.

"Oh, you have no idea," Kairi says when she finally lets her arms limply fall to her sides in defeat.

"So... there's something I've been meaning to give you all night," Sora confesses while scratching his cheek with a slight blush.

"Oh?" Kairi asks.

"Yes, and I'd prefer to do it in private," Sora specifies. His cheeks immediately heat up at Kairi's frightened expression. "N-no! I didn't mean anything dirty, I swear!"

"Uh huh," Kairi hums unconvincingly. With an impatient eye roll, Sora then surveys the area before lightly pulling at Kairi's arm to drag her away to an empty hallway located on the side of the venue.

Kairi merely snickers at his choice. "Yeah, this isn't sketchy at all."

"Can you _please_ not ruin this for me?" he asks. Kairi only raises her hands in surrender as a sign that she's done teasing him for the time being and gasps lightly when he pulls out a medium-sized square-shaped box from his pocket.

"So, uh…" he starts, his delivery shy and earnest. "Just to make things clear, I'm obviously not proposing (Kairi chuckles at this), and I know that my parents have already given you a gift on our family's behalf, but I at least wanted to get you something special from me since, you know..."

"Sora, you didn't have to do that," Kairi reminds softly as she takes his free hand in hers.

"I know, but I wanted to," Sora says while flicking the box open to reveal a silver charm bracelet with a singular heart-shaped charm attached.

Kairi immediately withdraws her hands and places them over her mouth in surprise, but Sora wordlessly takes her left hand and clips the bracelet in place.

"Sora, it's beautiful," she says while admiring it in the light. "But… undoubtedly expensive. How did you even get the munny to pay for this?"

"Let's just say a lot of dick pics were involved," Sora jokes, earning himself a foreseen elbow jab. "I'm _kidding_. I just put in some extra hours at the froyo shop after school."

Kairi narrows her eyes in suspicion. "So all those times you told me you were doing homework…"

"Lies," Sora fully admits, "though I'm surprised you didn't catch on. Caring about schoolwork earlier than two hours before a test is so unlike me."

"I should've known," Kairi also admits while snaking her arms around his neck, "but… you really didn't have to do this for me, Sora."

Sora merely shakes his head while returning her embrace. "I wanted to. I had to let you know that it's always been yours," he explains, referring to the heart-shaped charm attached to the bracelet.

"Well I love and appreciate it beyond belief," Kairi whispers, "but you know there are other ways to show me your affections for free."

Sora blushes at what her words imply. "So… I know I didn't win the Duel of Hearts tonight, but… can I still claim a kiss?"

His almost girlfriend giggles at his bashfulness and presses her forehead to his in reply. She knew as well as he did that they'd been waiting for the opportunity all night, and it finally presented itself behind the shadows of an empty hallway.

"You most certainly can," Kairi whispers, her lips grazing his ever so slightly. She squeaks when he suddenly tightens his grip on her hips and pulls her to him so that their chests meet.

"Great," he says, and he wastes no time capturing her lips with his.

Given that he's had some practice over the last week, the kiss is much less clumsier than their first, and Kairi willingly leans into his touch when he raises one hand from her hip to caress her cheek. The two deepen their kiss, and for a moment their senses dine on nothing but pure pleasure at the new sensation. They simultaneously sigh in delight as they memorize the feeling of their soft lips moving against each other slowly and lovingly…

… and immediately part when they hear the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them.

"M-master Aqua," Sora greets awkwardly. He tries to shield Kairi with his own body as he knows that she's probably hiding her face behind him in shame.

"And just what is going on here?" she asks with an authoritative hand on her hip, a ghost of an amused smile somewhat playing at her lips. Behind her, Ventus is fully smirking at the scene with his arms crossed.

"I believe they were making out," Ventus answers on his student's behalf. Sora immediately turns as red as Kairi's hair at the words.

"I, uh…" the brunet stammers, unsure of what to say.

"Do Kairi's parents know about this arrangement of yours?" Aqua asks somewhat sternly. Sora gulps and nearly hangs his head low but keeps his gaze up to maintain eye contact in respect of Kairi's master.

"No ma'am…" he answers shamefully.

"Well Sora, I trust that you'll treat Kairi nicely?" Aqua presses.

"Of course," Sora answers, his eyes now hard with determination.

"And because family is an important virtue to us all, I trust that you know that you'll have to tell her parents about this so that you're not sneaking around?" Aqua then asks.

"We will," Kairi says, finally chiming into the conversation as she latches onto Sora's arm who kisses her forehead supportively. "I promise, Master Aqua."

The keyblade master crosses her arms and smiles at their united front.

"Well then, you two enjoy your night," she says while saluting farewell to the almost couple.

"You as well," Kairi replies, her grip tightening on Sora's arm, "and thank you for coming out to celebrate tonight. It means the world to me that you came."

"You're very welcome," Aqua answers while making her way back to Ventus who awaits her return with an entertained but disapproving head shake.

"Wow," he muses, "way to cockblock them Aqua."

"Perhaps," the older master says. "But I think they'll be okay though."

"Yeah," Ventus agrees while turning his sights back to the two embracing teenagers. "I think so, too."

* * *

Back in the present, Kairi snaps out of her reverie at the sound of what appears to be little pebbles hitting her window.

She makes her way to the double doors leading to her balcony, one hand crossed over her chest as she steps out, and is surprised to find that a) the sky is much darker than the sunset she had nearly dozed off to, and b) Sora is waiting for her at the balcony of the floor below, similar to how he used to get her attention back on Destiny Islands; this time, however, he's dressed in his pyjamas, and the physical distance between them is equidistant to their emotional one.

"Rapunzel, let down thy extensions!" she hears him exclaim before he finally realizes that she's looking down at him. "Oh, Kairi! Finally! I was starting to think that I was going to run out of rocks."

"You couldn't have just knocked on my door like a normal person?" she asks.

"No, where's the fun in that?" Sora asks in return. He then begins to climb the side of the castle until he gracefully lands on Kairi's balcony. The redhead crosses her arms in front of her chest in embarrassment even more and can't help but blush at how well he works the simple blue v-neck shirt and grey sweatpants.

"B-bumfuzzle," she stammers uncomfortably.

"Huh?" Sora asks, confused. He then looks at Kairi's reddened cheeks and at his attire and adds the two together. "Oh. _Oh_ , I'm sorry. I'll try not to wear this again."

"Thanks," Kairi mumbles while avoiding eye contact.

"I can say the same for these pyjamas of yours though," he confesses as he tries not to admire the way her matching pink silk camisole and shorts with trimmed lace hug her petite but curvy frame.

"What are you doing here?" Kairi finally blurts out to change the subject.

"Oh, right!" he exclaims as if he'd forgotten. "I want to show you my surprise birthday present to you."

"Oh, so you actually did remember?" Kairi asks with narrowed eyes, though her heart skips a beat at the thought.

"You didn't actually think I'd forget, did you?" Sora asks with his signature grin. "You should've seen your face when you bought that bit with Riku and I in the kitchen earlier. It was priceless."

"Well it has been a long time since we've seen each other," Kairi reminds, "and I was starting to think that you've been taking last night's agreement a little too seriously."

"Kairi, don't be ridiculous. If I can memorize the amount of time it takes for you to take a proper dump, then I can memorize your date of birth," Sora reasons.

"How charming," Kairi says through gritted teeth.

"Now come on," Sora says while reaching for her arm.

"Wait!" Kairi squeaks when she pulls away and shields her chest once again. "I, um… you really didn't have to do anything for me."

Sora places his hands on his hips in defiance. "Are we doing this again? I feel like we do this every year, Kairi. I _wanted_ to do something for you, and it's already been done, so there's no going back."

"Um… can I at least change then?" Kairi decides to ask. "I have no idea where you're taking me."

"You most certainly cannot change," Sora demands, "and if I told you where we were going, that would ruin the whole purpose of the surprise, wouldn't it?"

"Well, um…" Kairi clears her throat awkwardly. This was Sora of all people. She could be up front with him. "Can I at least… freshen up a bit and actually put a bra on?"

All at once, her defensiveness makes sense, and Sora's cheeks turn red at the discovery. He'd forgotten that Kairi preferred sleeping without a bra (something he'd learned the hard way— _literally_ ) and actively has to stop himself from recalling _those_ memories before it gets out of hand.

"Um… yes," he finally answers awkwardly. "You can totally do that."

"Thank you," Kairi says as she scurries back into her walk-in closet to freshen up, retrieve a bra, and emerges in the same attire as requested. "Are you sure I'm okay just in my PJs?"

"You look perfect, Kairi," Sora assures while opening her room door for her and pulling out a blindfold from his pocket. "Now let's go."

"Is that really necessary?" the birthday girl asks, referring to the cloth in his hand.

"Yup," Sora says with a nod.

After sharing a long gaze filled with both suspicion and anticipation, Kairi merely shrugs and complies by walking out of her room, tying on the blindfold, and allows Sora to take her by the wrist to lead her into yet another adventure.

With Sora's reassuring hands on her shoulders, Kairi blindly takes a few confident steps forward, allowing him to guide her to what feels to be the elevator and waits until it stops at what Kairi calculates should be the foyer. He leads her out with a light grasp on her arm and places one of her hands on a large door (presumably the ballroom), helping her push it open with a small grunt. Although blindfolded, Kairi can feel that the room they've entered is much brighter, and Sora confirms this when he unexpectedly rips the blindfold off her eyes and yells "Surprise!" with about a hundred more teenagers in the room.

When her vision adjusts to the brightness, Kairi's lips part slightly at the sight. The ballroom had been transformed into a giant pillow fort made from hundreds of white pillows, blankets, paper lanterns, and string lights strung across the top. In the back, a small stage had been set up where The Oathkeepers cue Roxas in for a surprise performance, and Sora runs up to join them and take his place.

From the sidelines, Olette and Naminé, who are also dressed in pyjamas much like everyone else, emerge and place a tiara on Kairi's head and a birthday sash across her chest. The two then lead Kairi to the dance floor made of mattresses set up just in front of the stage and jump lightly to the beat of the song, encouraging the other teenagers already on the dance floor to do the same, and an overwhelmed Kairi giggles at the surprise. It was certainly a step up from the forts she, Sora, and Riku had made in her living room when they were children, but still messily made, although overall charming, just like Sora himself.

During the performance, Roxas jumps from the stage and takes the birthday girl by the hand, leading her onto the stage where he, Sora and Riku take turns performing and dancing with her, Hayner and Axel bobbing their heads encouragingly in the back. Roxas ends the song to deafening applause and cheers and introduces DJ Demyx to the crowd to take the reigns for the night. The DJ then takes his rightful place at his turntable booth, and black UV lights suddenly turn on to change the lighting mood from bohemian charm to wild neon that accentuates all the whites in the room.

Amidst the chaos on the dance floor, Sora manages to lead Kairi to a small gift station that he'd set up in the corner where all the residents of the Disney castle await to present her with their presents.

"Guys," Kairi gushes while embracing each and every one of them (Hayner inclusive, surprisingly enough). "You really didn't have to do this, but thanks so much! This party is beyond amazing."

"Yeah it is," Axel, shirtless and in a pair of black sweatpants, agrees while admiring a group of girls get into a pillow fight on the sidelines.

"And we really didn't have any choice in the matter," Hayner confesses while throwing his hands into the pockets of his camouflage-patterned pyjama pants. "Sora wouldn't stop talking about this for ages. Agreeing to it was the only way to shut him up."

" _Anyway_ ," Sora says through gritted teeth, "I think we all had something for the birthday girl, yes?"

"Oh, us first!" Roxas chimes. He and Naminé present an astonished Kairi with a new ukulele, the tropical flowers on the corner painted by the latter herself.

"Sora and Riku told me that you like to play," the lead singer of The Oathkeepers reasons. "We should totally have a jam session sometime."

" _Definitely_ count me in," Kairi says while gracing the couple with a thankful embrace. When it comes to Hayner and Pence, the latter feels the need to establish something before presenting the birthday girl with their gift.

"For the record, I decided against this," the photographer warns.

Kairi places her hands on her hips. "Well you guys didn't even need to get me anything at all, so I'll appreciate it regardless."

"Then feast your eyes on this baby," Hayner says while busting out a pink gaming mouse. "The latest in gaming mouse technology, capable of over a thousand clicks per minute, and guaranteed to slaughter all plebs in Alliance of the Ancients and/or any online game for that matter."

"Okay, if you don't want that, I will gladly take it off your hands," Sora comments. "I don't care if it's pink."

Kairi only rolls her eyes and accepts the gift with a giggle. "Thank you, Hayner. I've actually been in the market for some high-quality gaming equipment, so I'm pumped."

When Hayner sticks his tongue out in Pence's direction, Axel steps forward and proudly presents his fellow redhead with his small gift.

"Wow, Axel," Kairi says while taking back her fast pass that Axel had borrowed for Larxene about two days ago. "I really appreciate you giving me what's rightfully mine."

"You're very welcome," he replies with a wink. "I'm also good at giving special massages if you're intereste—ahh!"

The redhead groans in pain when Larxene, who's practically half-naked in black negligee, forcefully drags him away to the dance floor.

"Wait, where's Xion?" Kairi suddenly asks when she can't seem to find the black-haired teen in sight.

"Couldn't make it tonight," Riku answers, although behind him, Kairi can make out a familiar blue-haired teenager with a nervous smile. Kairi shares a look with Riku who merely sends her a small wink in response.

"Glad you could make it tonight, Alice," Kairi greets knowingly.

"Glad to be here," she replies back with a perky nod.

"So I know that Sora couldn't pull this off by himself," Kairi tells Riku with a playful hand on her hip. "He must have had a helper."

"Are you kidding me?" Riku answers calmly. "I'm the whole reason this thing actually happened. You should be bowing at my feet right now."

"Hey!" Sora exclaims, somewhat offended.

"Get real, Sora," Riku teases, "without me, all you would've had was a concept."

"Well, would you accept a grateful hug?" Kairi answers while outstretching her arms with some playful shimmying.

"I'll take it," Riku says while accepting her tight embrace. "Happy birthday, Kairi."

"Thank you," Kairi says graciously. When the two pull away, Sora presents Kairi with his and Riku's joint gift.

"We caught you looking at them in the background when we would share screens during MoogleTalk," Sora explains when Kairi opens the box to reveal the pair of purple sneakers she'd been eyeing online.

"Guys…" Kairi says with slightly teary eyes. "Thank you so much. You're both too sweet."

"Hey hey, we didn't intend waterworks for this party," Riku says when Kairi nearly bursts into tears. "We came here to party, and I intend to do just that. Come on Alice, let's grab a drink."

"O-okay," his blue-haired companion responds, nervously following him onto the dance floor alongside the remainder of the household, leaving only Sora and Kairi behind.

"So…" Kairi starts while lacing her hands behind her back and awkwardly rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Oh! Before we resume this awkward conversation, I have one more thing for you," Sora says as he pulls out a small envelope from the pocket of his sweatpants. Kairi opens them to reveal a selection of hand drawn coupons on the inside.

"They're best friend coupons," Sora explains as Kairi reads through them with amusement. "Figured it was fitting given our… agreement from last night."

Kairi flips through the selection of poorly drawn coupons and giggles. 1 Free Baking Lesson, 1 Free Sea-Salt Ice Cream, 24 Hour Disney Marathon (must be requested one day in advance), 1 Free Backrub, 1 Long and Supportive Pep Talk, Skip 1 Argument...

"This is like… really cute and thoughtful," Kairi comments. "Thank you, Sora."

Sora throws his hands behind his head and offers her his signature grin. "You're very welcome."

"But you do realize this is all one huge violation of our agreement," Kairi says with a pained smile. "I really appreciate it, but it is far too sweet and bumfuzzle-y."

Sora slumps his shoulders slightly in defeat. "I know. I'm sorry. But in fairness, I did start planning it before our agreement, and I didn't want it to go to waste."

"No, of course not," Kairi agrees. "But I do have to admit that my need to give you a hug has increased tenfold, and we both know that can't happen."

"Tell you what," Sora starts when one of their favourite Dance Party songs come on. "Instead of a hug, why not a birthday dance? That's a good compromise, don't you think?"

In the moment, Kairi basks in the familiarity of his warm smile, bright eyes, and outstretched hand, and grins sweetly before willingly accepting it and allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor.

* * *

In the quieter area of the party, furthest from the dance floor, Roxas and Naminé lounge by the pillow couches, making idle conversation while cuddling.

"Thank you for coming out tonight, Nams," Roxas says while throwing an arm over her shoulders. "I know parties aren't really your thing."

"Well I wouldn't exactly call it 'coming out' if we're technically still in the castle," his girlfriend teases.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Roxas says with an eye roll. "I just thought it may have been a little too chaotic for you."

"Well, my boyfriend is well on his way to stardom," Naminé reminds while throwing her legs on top of his. "I'll have to get used to this lifestyle sooner or later."

Just when Roxas leans in for a kiss, Naminé lightly places a hand on his chest when she catches a group of girls giggling and pointing in their general direction with their cellphones in hand.

"Roxas," Naminé whispers, "I think you have some company."

Her boyfriend withdraws his puckered lips and sneaks a glance behind him. He offers the girls a small wave, and their giggling increases tenfold.

"I think you should go take a selfie with them," Naminé suggests.

"What? But we were just about to get it on," Roxas says with a pout. His girlfriend giggles and lightly shoves herself off of him.

"Roxas, go," she demands.

"Are you sure?" he asks while taking her small hand in his. She nods and sends him off with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," he whispers. "I love you. Be right back."

She dismisses him with one final wave.

At the "soda" bar, Xion sits on one of the stools with one leg crossed over the other, observing the wide display of teenage behaviour around her with fascination. While Sora and Kairi take over the dance floor, Olette giggles as she sways to the beat of the song and watches as Hayner mindlessly gyrates before her. In the back, Roxas is in the middle of taking selfies and signing autographs for a few fans, Pence snaps a few pictures with his lengthy creeper lens, and by the beer pong table, Riku finds himself in the middle of a group of girls who take turns admiring the muscles exposed by his black tank.

Xion averts her gaze and tries not to be affected by the former, but with a guy like Riku, it was a difficult task. He may have been helping her live her teenage life to the fullest, but it didn't mean he had to be fully committed. Realistically speaking, they would part by summer's end, and they'd have to move on with their lives. She could foresee him being the popular jock type on his new college campus, and she would just be the wallflower passing through the high school hallways, waiting for each day to go by until her time was eventually up. She would at least have the memories they'd shared together, and for now, that was more than enough.

Her depressing thoughts are cut short when a familiar figure stumbles in her direction, his thoughts clearly influenced by alcohol.

"Hey," Axel slurs. "You're… Riku's girl. Alice, right?"

Xion tries not burst out laughing at the concept of Axel possibly hitting on her and plays up the act for her amusement.

"Yes," she answers. "I am Alice, but I'm not Riku's girl. He's just a friend."

"Well then," he says while leaning one elbow against the bar suggestively. "Would you like to dance?"

Before Xion has a chance to decline, Larxene drags him away for the second time that night and Xion merely laughs at the sight. She turns her attention back to her non-alcoholic soda, her gaze returning to where Riku used to be, but he's no longer in sight. She then feels someone tap her shoulder from behind, and she turns around in hopes that it could possibly be him, but her eyes widen in fear when they land on the guy that had been hitting on her and the other girls backstage during the first round of Battle of the Bands.

"Seifer," she greets awkwardly. "Hi."

"Glad to see that you remember me," he says while taking the seat next to her and obnoxiously leaning his face closer to hers, the smell of alcohol in his breath overwhelming her and nearly causing her to gag.

"I tend to remember generic teenage sleazebags for future purposes such as now," she says while leaning back with a disgusted expression. "Seriously, haven't you ever heard of personal space?"

"Of course I have," he says while boldly placing a hand on her knee. "It's the best kind of space."

"Can you not?" she says while swatting his arm away, inwardly applauding herself for her bravery. Xion probably would've scurried away in the face of danger, but she suddenly finds a newly found confidence in Alice that both Kairi and Olette had inspired from their previous encounter with Seifer.

"Come on, hang out with me," Seifer pleads, "I promise it'll be fun."

"So you can put a baby in me? No thanks," Xion retorts rather bluntly.

Seifer suddenly raises his hands in surrender with a dirty smirk. "Whoa. Honestly, I was thinking of taking you out first, but if you want to get right down to it I'm okay with that too."

Xion's heart drops when another familiar voice joins their conversation.

"You know, something tells me that she's not interested, Seifer."

Seifer's eyes narrow at the sight of Riku behind Alice with his arms crossed over his chest protectively. This would be second time that The Oathkeepers had gotten in his way, and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Beat it, Sunsilk," Seifer insults. "I'm a little busy here."

"Really?" Riku asks, amused. "Because it sounded like you were awfully busy getting shut down."

Seifer growls when the two chuckle at his misery. His eyes then land on the red solo cup in Riku's hand and grins when a thought occurs to him.

"I'll tell you what," Seifer suggests. "Why don't we settle this over a friendly match of beer pong? Winner gets to spend the night with our lovely lady friend over here."

While Xion's jaw drops at the possibility of her spending the entire night with generic teenage sleazebag, Riku merely shrugs and agrees to the conditions with a confident nod.

" _What_?" Xion practically yells. She forcefully pulls on Riku's arm and brings him down to her level. "Riku, I _swear_ if we lose-"

"Relax," Riku says reassuringly. "We got this."

Five minutes later, Riku and Alice stand on one side of the beer pong table with Seifer and Raijin on the other side, their small ping pong balls at the ready.

"Riku…" Xion whispers nervously at the sight of the amount of red cups on the table. "I… I can't drink too much," she warns.

"Don't worry," Riku says. "First of all, we're not drinking from the actual cups because that's unsanitary as hell; second, you can just take little sips from your drink if they score; and third, I know beer isn't going to get you black out with your sack out wasted, so you have nothing to worry about."

"How _did_ you even get alcohol in here anyways?" Xion questions with skittish eyes.

"We Funtertainers have our ways," Riku answers, "and underage drinking is like… the pinnacle of teenage living. This is something we have to cross off your teenage bucket list."

"I know, but…" Xion says, her thoughts drifting onto other negative outcomes.

"Hey, relax," Riku says, and she squeaks when he suddenly pulls her to his side with one arm protectively wrapped around her waist. "I wouldn't have agreed to this if I thought we were going to lose. In any case, I'm not letting you go with that guy, so just trust me. I got you."

Xion only gulps and attempts to conceal her blush when the game starts.

The small crowd that had gathered for the match cheers when Seifer and Rai immediately knock three cups out within the first two minutes, but Riku is quick to retaliate with three of his own. His partner, however, appears to be struggling slightly with her turns, so he takes the liberty of teaching her both the techniques and mechanics.

"Here," Riku says while placing one hand on Xion's hip and the other overtop her throwing hand. "The trick is to throw higher, not harder. And when aiming, always look at the back rim of the cup. Ready?"

"S-sure," she says, blushing at the contact. She throws the ball in what appears to be a perfect arc, but it just hits the rim of one cup before bouncing off the table entirely. The crowd _aww's_ in disappointment, but Riku pats her shoulder reassuringly.

"Come on Alice!" Kairi cheers from the sidelines, Sora and the rest of the household by her side. "You got this!"

Xion offers her an anxious but thankful thumbs up gesture in response.

Moments later, the crowd gasps in anticipation when Seifer and Rai manage to get Riku and Xion down to one cup.

"All right, here's what's going down," Riku says while formulating their game plan. "They have three cups left. If you and I sink both our shots in the same cup, it'll knock them all out. What do you say?"

"Riku, I've yet to even sink one shot," Xion says nervously.

"I believe in you," Riku says. He then lines up his shot and sinks it perfectly into the middle cup. Xion steps up to the table and gulps.

"Just remember: throw higher," Riku reminds.

"Not harder," Xion reiterates while lining up her shot. Her eyes then zero in on the rim of the middle cup as she takes a deep, preparatory breath. She lets the ball fly freely from her hands and jumps back in disbelief when it sinks perfectly into the cup on the other side. "Oh my gosh, I actually did it!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Riku cheers proudly while throwing a hand up for a high five, but because Xion is so tiny, she has to jump up just to reach his hand, and the crowd goes wild with applause.

"Wait, wait!" Seifer yells amidst the chaos. "We still have redemption!"

"All right, all right," Riku agrees as he grants the boys one shot each, but none manage to land in their cup, and the crowd goes wild again at Riku and Xion's confirmed victory.

"Oh my gosh, we won!" Xion screams, caught up in the moment and jumping into Riku's arms who surprisingly goes with it and carries her into the air with ease where he joins the crowd's chants.

From the sidelines, Kairi smiles knowingly at the scene—that is, until a familiar figure emerges from the crowd and readies himself at one side of the table with Wakka for another match.

"Tidus," the birthday girl greets. Behind her, Sora's mood immediately changes.

"Who the hell invited him?" Sora growls as his nemesis throws back his perfect blond surfer hair.

"He's the founder's brother, Sora," Roxas reminds. "I don't think he needs to be invited to anything."

Back with Tidus and Kairi, the latter tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear before gracing the star player of the Zanarkand Abes with a thankful smile.

"Thanks for coming to my party," she says.

"It was my pleasure," Tidus replies. "I'm sorry that I wasn't made aware earlier. I totally would've gotten you something."

"No, there's definitely no need for that," she says bashfully. She then notices the lack of another female figure by his side and discovers that Yuna Riel is nowhere in sight.

"So, how about a friendly game?" Tidus suggests. "We can team up, if you'd like."

"Um, she already has a partner," Sora interjects, forcing himself in between the two.

Tidus, oblivious to the brunet's jealousy, nods in understanding. "That's cool. You two can go against Wakka and I."

Minutes later, Sora and Kairi find themselves arguing at one end of the table while Tidus and Wakka prepare themselves for the upcoming match.

"Sora, really?" Kairi asks, half-annoyed but also half-amused.

"What?" Sora asks innocently.

"You were totally being jealous earlier," she points out.

"Psh, what?" Sora asks, his voice a noticeable few octaves higher. "Girl, you're seeing things."

"Sora," Kairi says knowingly. "Getting jealous isn't a friendly thing to do."

The brunet groans. "I know, but I can't help it."

"Sora, you have nothing to worry about," Kairi assures. "There's nothing going on between me and Tidus Clearwater."

Just as if she'd jinxed it, DJ Demyx suddenly cuts the track and is forced to hand the mic over to Selphie onstage.

"Good evening everyone, how are you all doing tonight?" she asks, earning enthusiastic whistles and cheers from the crowd. "Good, that's what we like to hear! Now, as you all probably know, our birthday girl is from Destiny Islands, and I think that we should honour a tradition from her world on her special day, don't you think?"

When the crowd nods in agreement, Sora and Riku share a hard, knowing look.

"I was doing some research, and I came across a very interesting custom during a girl's sixteenth birthday called the Duel of Hearts," Selphie starts, and the birthday girl's heart skips a beat at the mention of the three dreaded words. "Centuries ago, willing suitors would fight for the celebrant's hand in marriage through this tradition. Now I know that we're celebrating Kairi's seventeenth birthday today, but because most of us weren't present for this tradition on her sixteenth birthday, I think that we should bring it back for an encore presentation. What do you all think?"

Intrigued, the crowd cheers loudly at Selphie's suggestion.

"Well this can't be good," Riku immediately concludes.

"What do you say, Kairi? Winner gets, say… one date?" Selphie asks slyly, and the spotlights land on the birthday girl who appears to be a deer caught in headlights. All around her, teenagers chant for her to follow through.

"U-um… sure?" she squeaks under pressure, and the crowd cheers.

"All right! Now that we've received the birthday girl's blessing, it's time to follow through with the duel," Selphie announces. "The duelling method is typically selected by the celebrant's father, but in the case that he isn't present, the event host steps up to take his place, and as no one has named themselves event host, I have taken the liberty of arranging this night's duel and have set up an obstacle course just outside in the castle's backyard!"

As the crowd whispers amongst themselves excitedly, Sora's heart tightens in his chest.

"So without further ado, are there any males willing to fight for one date with Ms. Kairi Hart? If so, please step forward onto the dance floor," Selphie requests.

In a manner unlike the year before, Sora and Riku immediately step forward, not wanting their best friend to potentially suffer through a date with some random guy. From the sidelines, a defeated but smirking Seifer steps onto the dance floor, causing the Destiny Islands trio to scrunch their noses in disgust. On the opposing side, Olette and Pence forcefully and jokingly shove Hayner forward.

"What? Hell no!" the gamer yells, attempting to claw his way back to his giggling friends to no avail. Behind him, a somewhat tipsy Axel is welcomed to the dance floor with whistles.

"I volunteer as tribute!" he yells, earning more cheers.

"All right, we have room for one more participant," Selphie says. "Do we have one more male willing to fight for the birthday girl?"

A few seconds pass in silence, but when Tidus Clearwater emerges from the crowd and steps onto the dance floor, the crowd goes absolutely wild and all the colour on Sora's face drains.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter Inspirations:** The song The Oathkeepers performed at Kairi's surprise party was _POP 101_ by Marianas Trench (I had the fortune of watching them recently perform this live at an outdoor festival and they were wonderful), and the song Sora and Kairi danced to shortly after was _Shake It_ by Metro Station.

**Fun fact:** When I turned eighteen, I had a coming of age party similar to Kairi's sixteenth birthday but with different traditions, the Treasures being one of them (though I skipped out on this one in particular). The changing of shoes and father daughter dance were inspired by Hispanic Quinceneras, the traditional island performances influenced by Hawaiian culture, and the Duel of Hearts was inspired by Agni Kai battles from Avatar: The Last Airbender, which brings me to…

**Fun fact #2:** I watch and listen to ATLA/Legend of Korra bending matches/battle music when I write sparring scenes, which is why they often read like bending matches. The song I imagined Riku and Sora battling to in particular was _Firebending Training_ by Jeremy Zuckerman.

**A/N:** I think this was the funnest chapter to write so far. I realize there's plenty going on, and that the flashback (our first actual flashback!) to Kairi's sixteenth birthday ran far longer than I thought it would, but it was very enjoyable giving Destiny Islands more culture than I'm used to. This, however, resulted in a far higher word count, which is why I've decided to split Kairi's birthday into two parts.

We've also got some foreshadowing with Riku's somewhat rocky past here! I have to confess that I also very much enjoyed writing the BBS trio as their wise keyblade masters and showing some past romance between Sora and Kairi. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!


	10. duel of hearts

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
X | duel of hearts

* * *

Outside, Selphie had set up an obstacle course that ran throughout the entire backyard in a circular fashion, all illuminated by strategically placed tiki torches. At the end of the course, the birthday girl, still clad in her pyjamas, shivers in anticipation for the upcoming battle. In the starting lineup, Sora, Riku, Hayner, Axel, Seifer and Tidus examine the course and its many phases.

After chugging three cups worth of drinks and flipping them rim down on a plastic table, they were to hop through a series of hula hoops, duck through three limbo sticks, climb a rope up and over a wooden wall, persevere through two sets of monkey bars side-by-side over the swimming pool, jump through five sets of hurdles, participate in a barbed wire crawl made from volleyball nets, and accurately throw a blitzball at a dunk tank featuring none other than Kairi herself. Sora's eyes narrow at the latter. He may have been overthinking it, but it seemed as if the course was fixed at the end in favour of Tidus in particular. Scattered throughout the sidelines of the course, teenagers chant for their preferred victor, most of which yell "Tidus!" over and over, causing Sora's heart to tighten in his chest even more.

"Participants, are you ready?" Selphie yells into her bullhorn as she approaches the middle of the starting lineup with a flag in hand. All six boys ready themselves and nod. "All right! As promised, the first one to complete the course and dunk the birthday girl into the tank will win one date! And as for rules… there are none! So do your best!"

"Oh boy…" Hayner says with a gulp when he catches Seifer smirking at the prospect of no rules.

"On your mark…" Selphie starts as she raises her flag. "Get set… go!"

The instant Selphie lowers her flag, the six are off, and the crowd chants "chug!" when they reach the table of drinks. The boys down their share in seconds, flip the cups accordingly, and head for the hula hoops where they hop through each of them with ease with the exception of Axel, who seems to have been pushed to his drinking limit and falls flat on his face by the time they reach the limbo section.

"Come on Hayner, you got this!" Olette cheers when she notices the gamer struggling with the final limbo stick. Beside her, Pence snaps photos of the entire event with an amused grin.

"I hate you both so much!" Hayner yells when he finally makes it through and heads for the rope climbing wall. While Sora and Riku take the lead, Tidus maintains a steady pace in the middle with Seifer not far behind, leaving Hayner in the back to fend for himself. The gamer grabs onto the rope, but before he makes it halfway up the wall, Seifer aggressively swings himself in his direction and kicks him down, causing Hayner to land on his back with a painful thud.

Sensing Seifer's violent nature, Sora, Riku and Tidus quicken their pace and hastily grab onto the monkey bars with Riku allowing Sora and Tidus to take the lead. Seifer and Riku end up climbing through the monkey bars side by side, and as expected, Seifer attempts to shove Riku aside, but the latter sees it coming and kicks Seifer into the pool who suddenly grabs onto his leg, bringing him down into the water with him.

"Riku!" Sora yells dramatically when his feet hit the ground first.

"Just go!" his best friend yells when his head resurfaces.

Sora nods as he begins to jump through the hurdles with Tidus by his side. With heightened determination, the brunet proves to be more successful at the volleyball net crawl and manages to reach the dunk tank first, locking eyes with Kairi when he has a blitzball in hand. He grips the ball, getting a feel for its weight as he'd never held one before, and chucks it at the target, missing by just a few inches and causing the crowd to 'ooh'.

Sora grabs another and tries again, missing by mere millimetres this time, but by the time he tries to grab his third shot, Tidus has already caught up with him. He throws his blitzball into the air, and Sora watches helplessly as the star player of the Zanarkand Abes readies himself for his signature sphere shot. After a deep intake of breath, the blond performs a perfect tumble before kicking the ball straight into the target and causing Kairi to fall into the pool of water beneath her.

Beneath the water's surface, the birthday girl hears muffled applause before resurfacing and pulling herself out of the dunk tank.

"Everybody bring your hands together for the winner of tonight's duel… Tidus Clearwater!" Selphie announces into her bullhorn, and the volume of the crowd's whistles and cheers increases tenfold.

She hands the victor a beach towel, and he accepts it graciously before walking towards the birthday girl and offering it to her. As the cheers die down and the tunes start back up again, Kairi accepts the towel from Tidus and wraps it around her body with a half-smile.

"So you won," she tells him.

"So I did," he answers with a shy, but charming smile at what his victory entails. He then begins to lead the redhead to the fire pit in the backyard to dry up, the party music fading in the distance.

"You know we… don't have to go through with it," Tidus says.

"Hm?" Kairi hums when they reach the circular fire pit. She immediately outstretches her hands to bask in its warmth and sighs in pleasure at the feeling.

"The date, I mean," Tidus specifies while scratching the back of his head. "I know that I won, but I don't want you to feel forced to go out with me if you don't want to."

"Oh," Kairi says, hoping that the dim lighting would conceal her oncoming blush. She expected a lot of unexpected scenarios over the course of the summer, but choosing to go out with a star athlete (one that _just_ broke up with a pop sensation, no less) was certainly not one she had in mind. "I appreciate you giving me the choice, Tidus. That's very kind of you."

"Of course," he says with a nod. Kairi's eyes then drift onto Sora, who appears to be helping Riku out of the water, and for a brief, fleeting moment, she can feel his disappointed eyes burn into hers.

"U-um," Kairi stammers upon returning to reality. "I hope this isn't too much trouble, but do you mind if I think about it? I'm afraid I can't give you a clear answer - not tonight, at least."

"Of course. Take all the time you need," Tidus offers.

"There's just… a lot to consider," Kairi reasons.

"No, I get it," Tidus insists. "I know this all seems so sudden, but if it's any consolation… I really have been interested in you since we met. This isn't just me looking for a sudden fling or anything."

Kairi blushes at the sudden confession but stands her ground. "Tidus, you and Yuna Riel broke up just last week. You're moving a little fast, don't you think?"

"Yuna?" Tidus questions with raised eyebrows. "There's no need to worry about her, Kairi. We've been growing apart for ages. Please don't let her affect your choice."

_It's not just her_ , Kairi thinks as her thoughts drift onto the boy she had just been dancing with moments ago.

"All right, but I would still appreciate some time to think about it," Kairi reiterates.

"I totally understand," Tidus says. "Until then, uh… do you want to exchange numbers?"

Kairi then begins to feel her pockets but recalls that she'd left her phone with Olette before the duel.

"Tell you what," the birthday girl answers. "I'll give you my number, you text me your name, and I'll reply back when I have a response for you. Sound good?"

Tidus readies his phone in agreement but raises an eyebrow in suspicion when he begins typing her name down.

"You're not going to give me a fake number and leave me hanging, are you?" he asks teasingly.

Kairi giggles at the accusation. "Of course not. Besides, you know where I live."

"That I do," Tidus recalls as he types her number down with a chuckle.

By the edge of the swimming pool, Sora watches the two silhouetted figures from afar with crossed arms while Riku dries up beside him.

"Sora, I know that look," Riku warns as he runs his hair through a towel.

"What look?" Sora asks, his gaze on Tidus and Kairi unfaltering.

"That's your meddling look," Riku specifies. "What are you thinking?"

"That I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn't go on that date with him," Sora answers bluntly.

His best friend merely sighs. "Sora, Kairi's a smart girl. I think you should stay out of this."

Sora defiantly shakes his head in disagreement.

"Suit yourself," Riku says defeatedly. "But don't say I didn't warn you. Meddling could only make things worse."

"Doing nothing _will_ make things worse," Sora argues as he watches the two with clenched fists.

All at once, their agreement about ground rules the night before becomes irrelevant. He couldn't possibly let Kairi fall into the clutches of Tidus Clearwater. He'd have to lure her back in, and to do that, he'd have to play hard ball. Sora's eyes then narrow as the flames from the fire pit reflect in his irises. Now that he really thought about it, Kairi never did return the ancient rite of the spit shake that night, and he was never one to follow rules anyway.

* * *

The following day at breakfast, Kairi nearly spits out her food when Sora shows up to serve her with most of his uniform shirt unbuttoned and smelling as if he just doused himself in the body spray that she warned him _not_ to wear around her.

"Good morning," he sings as he leans down far too close for Kairi's liking. She gets a good whiff of his scent and feels her knees grow weak. Riku merely rolls his eyes at his best friend's childish antics as he serves the rest of the household in proper attire.

"S-Sora," Kairi stammers, her face noticeably getting redder. "What are you doing?"

"Oh nothing," he answers innocently while presenting her with a silver platter of his freshly baked cookies, otherwise known as one of her ultimate weaknesses. "I did, however, wake up early this morning to bake you these. Hope you like them."

Kairi narrows her eyes at the delicious cookies and turns to face Sora with gritted teeth. "I appreciate the gesture, but I thought I told you not to bake around me."

"Did you now?" Sora asks, feigning ignorance. "Sorry, I must have missed that."

"Dibs!" Hayner yells while immediately going for the cookie platter.

"Sora, what are you doing?" Kairi repeats in a hushed tone.

"What do you mean? I'm not doing anything," Sora answers with a shrug. He then begins fanning himself as if the room had gotten ten degrees hotter. "Is it just me, or is it really hot in here?"

"Please don't," Kairi pleads, knowing where he was going with his act. To her right, Naminé lifts a napkin to cover her eyes, and to her left, Olette nudges her suggestively.

Much to Kairi's dismay, Sora successfully follows through with his plan and unbuttons his shirt entirely, tossing it aside and exposing his lightly toned muscles and all their glory in the daylight.

"Ah, much better," he says while flexing.

On the other side of the table, Axel nods his head approvingly at Sora's power play while Roxas drops his utensils in defeat.

"One normal breakfast," he murmurs while clutching the sides of his head. "I just want to have one normal breakfast…"

"Sora, please put your shirt back on," Kairi says through gritted teeth.

"Why?" Sora asks with a haughty, attractive smirk. "Do you not like what you see?"

"May I be excused?" Kairi asks desperately and out of courtesy. When she realizes that she isn't back home and that no one could possibly stop her, she immediately gets up from her seat and makes her way out of the dining room. When Sora retrieves his shirt from the ground, he immediately runs after her.

"All right, is anybody else going to unexpectedly strip, or are we done with this morning's shenanigans?" Roxas asks.

When Axel jokingly raises his hand to volunteer, Roxas immediately shuts him down.

* * *

Outside in the hallway, Sora catches up to Kairi just as he gets his shirt back on.

"Kairi!" he hollers while running after her retreating figure. "Hey, Kairi!"

He suddenly stops dead in his tracks when she unexpectedly stops her angered strides and turns around to face him with a frown.

"What the heck was that about?" she asks. "You pretty much broke every rule in our agreement back there."

Realizing that his plan may have backfired, Sora suddenly feels guilty for making her upset.

"Well I just…" Sora starts, although ashamed. Now that he thought about it, he may have been wrong, but she always did deserve to know the truth. "I thought that by exhibiting all the things that you found physically attractive about me, you'd, well… decide to stay away from Tidus."

And Sora knows he _really_ messed up when Kairi begins to laugh maniacally at his logic before gracing him with her sickly sweet smile.

" _This_ is what all that was about? Tidus?" she asks incredulously. "Sora, I can't believe you'd stoop this low."

"I… I'm sorry," the brunet confesses.

"Don't you see, Sora?" Kairi asks, her eyes half-lidded with tears from her laughing fit from earlier. "I don't find you attractive solely because of those little things mentioned in our agreement. You're most attractive when you're yourself, and right now, you're not being yourself. By doing these ridiculous things, you're not bringing me closer to you. You're just pushing me away even more."

The sudden realization hits him like a hammer in a game of whack-a-chocobo.

"Kairi, I'm sorry," Sora repeats. "I was desperate. It was dumb and I didn't think it through."

"No kidding," she admits. "You know, Tidus actually gave me the choice to go out with him or not, and to be honest, I was leaning towards saying no. But considering how you're behaving… maybe I will say yes."

"But Kairi—" Sora starts.

"Don't 'but Kairi' me," the redhead pleads. "We made that agreement to make things easier for us this summer, but all you've managed to do is make things even harder, and I'm tired of it."

"So what?" Sora asks hoarsely. "What happens now?"

Kairi runs a hand through her hair with a sharp intake of breath. "I'm going to go out with Tidus, and you're going to stay out of it."

"Um… are you sure that's the best idea?" Sora asks carefully.

"Sora," Kairi warns. "If you don't mind, I actually want to start enjoying my summer vacation without any unexpected twists, and if that requires some new company, then so be it."

"Look Kairi, I tried to be your friend," Sora says, "I tried to be supportive, I really did, but I can't let you do this."

"And who are you to decide what I can or can't do?" Kairi challenges when she begins to turn her heel.

"Your _best friend_ ," Sora reminds while following her. "Best friends let each other know when they think the other is making a mistake, and I think you're making one right now out of impulse."

"You're one to talk," she returns. When Kairi is nearly out of his grasp, Sora immediately reaches out for her and desperately takes her by the wrist.

"Kairi, please," Sora pleads, misty-eyed.

"Let me go, Sora," Kairi says, her words resonating within him both physically and emotionally. Sora tightens his grip on her as he thinks back to the first time he held her hand in his and both the joy and relief that came with it.

"I can't," he says weakly, the memory refusing to recede.

Kairi's eyes soften at the confession, but she manages to keep her head straight. Sensing his discomfort, she decides to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Look Sora, I appreciate everything that you've done for me," she says softly, "and I appreciate you looking out for me, but this is something that I have to decide for myself, and I think that it's finally time for both of us to let go and accept that this is all we'll ever be."

Sora raises a weak hand to clasp it around her wrist. "You can accept it, but I won't."

Kairi sighs and lets her hand fall loosely back to her side. "Sora, I don't want to be a bitch to you, but the way you're acting is bringing out the worst in me, and I'm afraid that if you can't be supportive of my decisions, then… then we can't truly be friends."

When Sora refuses to budge, Kairi slumps her shoulders and fishes out one of the best friend coupons he'd given her for her birthday from her little crossbody purse.

"Here, take this," she says before leaving him entirely. "I'm done talking about this."

Sora groans defeatedly as he reads the not-so-fine print that he'd written himself.

_Skip one argument,_ he reads, _valid for one time use only._

After cashing in the coupon and mentally telling himself to let it go for the time being, Sora hangs his head in shame and starts to think that listening to Riku's advice may not be such a bad idea after all.

* * *

After Kairi sends her potentially cataclysmic response to Tidus, she turns around to find Riku opening the balcony doors behind her.

"Am I too late?" Riku asks as he approaches her with his hands in his pockets. "Has the deed been done?"

"I'm afraid so," Kairi answers while pocketing her phone.

"So why'd you do it?" he asks, testing her.

"Sora and I had an agreement, Riku," Kairi explains sternly, "and he went ahead and broke all the rules."

"So that justifies you going out with another guy?" Riku challenges. "You're willing to let some new guy come between your friendship with Sora?"

"Why are you both ganging up on me?" Kairi retorts. "Aren't best friends supposed to be supportive of each other's decisions?"

"Not if they don't approve of said decision," Riku answers with his arms crossed. "You know this will break him."

"You're one to talk," Kairi says. "I don't approve of your womanizing, but you don't see me saying anything about it."

When Riku pauses, Kairi knows she's caught him off guard. The redhead then turns away from him and walks to the edge of her balcony. She rests her hands on the stone railing and admires the view of the resort as well as the feeling of the summer air tickling her cheeks.

"Tidus is the founder's brother, Riku," Kairi explains. "Perhaps he can be that friend that shows me a different side of the island; the side that won't let my past come back to haunt me on a daily basis; the side that will actually let me enjoy my summer vacation for once."

"Friend?" Riku repeats incredulously. "That's an interesting term to use considering that you're going on a date with the guy."

"It's not an actual date, Riku," Kairi reasons. "We're just hanging out."

"You know as well as I do that you're not stupid enough to believe that, Kairi," Riku warns. "You know he'll want something more soon enough."

"Yeah, well, so will you," Kairi mutters to herself, recalling the way he looked at Xion when he lifted her off the ground during last night's beer pong tournament.

"What was that?" Riku asks with skittish eyes.

"Nothing," Kairi answers when she turns to face him with a sweet smile and her hands laced behind her back innocently. "It's nothing. Just… trust me, okay? I'm making this decision, and should there be any consequences, I'll deal with them myself. I'm a big girl now, Riku."

"Sure you are," Riku says, unconvinced by her actions. The two are then distracted by a familiar _ding_ from Kairi's phone.

"It's Tidus," the redhead says while reading the text. "Great... pick you up at 7 p.m. tonight… dress casual."

"Well he certainly works fast," Riku comments while heading back inside the castle. "Enjoy your date," he says, but although Kairi can tell the words are forced, her lips curve upward into the best smile she can possibly muster out of courtesy.

"Thank you," she tells Riku. He then leaves her in a contemplative silence, but one that sends a chill up her spine.

* * *

That same night, no more than half an hour before Kairi's date, Sora preoccupies himself by dusting the armour of a hollow knight sculpture in the hallway until his ears perk upward at the sound of hushed voices coming from the left wing lounge. With swift, quiet movements, he performs a dodge roll and peeks through the narrow slit of the door that was left open and makes out two figures talking on the couch, one female and the other male, but can't make out their identities. Figuring that they were of no importance, Sora turns his back to them until his ears pick up a new piece of information that they probably shouldn't have.

"Thanks for doing this again, Tidus," comes the familiar voice of none other than TV personality Selphie Tilmitt. At the mention of his arch nemesis, Sora immediately turns back around with narrowed eyes and clenched fists.

Inside the lounge, Selphie picks up a cup of iced tea and offers one to her companion on the couch.

"It's no problem at all, Selph," Tidus insists while accepting the beverage with a grateful salute. "I've learned a long time ago that publicity stunts come with the territory."

"Yes, but thanks to you, this is going to be the best season of Teenage Wasteland yet," Selphie says while clinking her cup with his. "Oh, I can see all the headlines now: Princess Kairi sets her sights on Tidus Clearwater."

"But you're certain that Yuna knows it's all an act?" Tidus asks for precaution. "I wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea."

"Of course she knows," Selphie assures. "After all, your breakup was a publicity stunt as well. She of all people understand the price that needs to be paid for fame."

_What?_ Sora thinks as he presses his ear closer to the door.

"And what about Kairi and that persistent ex-boyfriend of hers?" Tidus asks. "What will you do if they find out about this arrangement?"

"Oh, there's no need to worry your pretty little head about that," Selphie says with confidence. "Besides, there's no need to get soft for them, Tidus. They're merely… collateral damage. We need to focus on the bigger picture here."

At the sound of clanging metal in the hallway, the two immediately rise to their feet and open the door only to find everything untouched and in its rightful place. After doing a quick scan of the area with skittish eyes, Selphie ushers Tidus back inside and ensures that both doors are closed shut before resuming their conversation.

Outside in the hallway, one of the knight sculptures twitches.

* * *

Upstairs in Kairi's room, Xion opens the door at the sound of urgent knocking.

"Sora?" the black-haired teen greets with confusion when the brunet stumbles inside dressed in knightly armour. At Kairi's vanity table, Naminé releases the redhead's hair while Olette removes a makeup brush from Kairi's cheeks.

"Kairi…" Sora whispers when his ex-girlfriend rises from her seat looking gorgeous as ever, dressed in a casual but flattering sundress with the sneakers he and Riku had bought her the night before. Suddenly, he forgets his purpose of waltzing into her room entirely, and his heart both swells and aches at the excitement he sees in her eyes. On one hand, he's happy that she's happy, but on the other, it pains him to know that the source of her happiness is another guy that _isn't_ him nor Riku.

"You, um… you look beautiful," he manages while nervously scratching the back of his head. Xion, Naminé, and Olette giggle amongst themselves at his behaviour and sneak themselves out of Kairi's door, sensing that the ex-couple needed some privacy.

"And you're… in armour," Kairi points out, unable to withhold a giggle of her own. "Please don't tell me this is some knight in shining armour stunt you're trying to pull."

"Oh," Sora says while jumping back, just as if he'd just remembered why he had it on. "I, uh… I just wanted to tell you something."

"Well I certainly hope it's not to argue with me some more," she jokes while continuing to brush her hair. "I hope you'd at least stay true to your word about those coupons."

Sora deflates at her words and takes a mental step back to assess his actions. Could he tell her? If he did, he'd only risk resuming their fight from earlier, lose both Kairi's respect and trust in the process, and betray Riku's advice entirely (again). All signs led to no, and realistically, the only person his confession would benefit at that very moment was himself, and he couldn't be that selfish - not when his best friend had a shot at finally enjoying herself, even if it was only temporary. This confession, he decides, could wait.

Besides, she told him to stay out of it, and stay out of it he would—verbally, at least. Physically? He had something else in mind for that.

"Um, no," he finally decides to say while straightening his posture. "I, uh… I just came here to tell you to enjoy your night."

Kairi's eyes soften at his words as she sets her hair brush back down. A few moments pass in silence, her gaze locked on his, and just when he thinks of awkwardly clearing his throat and walking away, she does the most unexpected thing.

She takes a few steps forward, and before he knows it, she has her arms willing wrapped around him.

"K-Kairi," he whispers into her hair. "Wh… I thought we said no hugging."

"I know," she murmurs into his chest, "but it feels as if we've just rekindled our friendship, and I think that's worth celebrating with a hug."

"O-oh… right," Sora agrees. He eventually wraps his arms around her waist and relishes in the familiarity of her warmth as she speaks.

"I know this is far from easy for you," she starts, "but it really does mean a lot to me that you're being supportive, Sora. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he says while resting his head on hers. Until that very moment, he never realized how much taller he'd gotten since the last time they'd willingly embraced. Back when they were together on Destiny Islands, she was practically his height in heels.

"So, um… I should probably get going," Kairi says while pulling away. With a heavy heart, Sora releases her from his grasp.

"Yeah," he agrees while she gathers the rest of her belongings into her small purse. As she heads for the door, Sora opens it for her like a true gentleman.

"Why thank you," Kairi says with a playful curtsey.

"So… text if you need anything?" Sora asks before she reaches the elevator.

Kairi chuckles at the words as she presses the down button. "I think I can handle myself, but if it will help you sleep at night, then sure."

"Be home by ten thirty," Sora jokes when the elevator arrives.

"Yes _dad,_ " Kairi answers whilst rolling her eyes. She then enters the elevator but nearly collides with Hayner who's just about to exit.

"Have fun on your _date_!" the gamer exclaims just as the doors close. Sora merely twitches at the word.

"Hey, there you are!" Hayner greets when his eyes land on the brunet… and eventually his armoured attire. "You know what, I'm not even going to ask."

"Good choice," Sora compliments.

"So Roxas told me to come get you for band practice," Hayner explains. "The next challenge is to sing a song in another language and it's going to take him a while to get the hang of it, even with Olette's help."

Sora only looks at the gamer with a sly grin.

"Hey, as a gamer, you probably have a lot of tech-y equipment, right?" Sora asks.

Hayner merely brushes his shoulder at what he believes is a compliment. "You know it."

"Do you have binoculars by any chance?" Sora then asks innocently.

The gamer's eyes narrow in suspicion at the rather specific question. "Yeah... why?"

Sora only crosses his arms with a smirk and Hayner pulls on the collar of his shirt uncomfortably at the gesture. "We're… not going to practice, are we?"

"Nope."

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N:** This is what I like to call an in-between chapter: one that seems like a filler but really sets everything up for the next turn of events, which I'm actually very excited to write. It's always entertaining to write a jealous Sora while Kairi is on a date with another guy. And lo and behold, Selphie reveals her and Tidus' true motives! Perhaps he doesn't seem like Mr. Oblivious now, does he?

Now I will admit that this chapter had emotions running all over the place and arguments upon arguments, but I'm willing to let it slide simply because a) I just want to get to the fun that's in the next chapter, and b) they're teenagers. As I vividly recall, being moody is what they do! I'm sure this was something that was very prominent in the previous Teenage Wasteland, so I decided to resurrect it for a bit for nostalgia's sake. Did you think it was too much?


	11. date night

**Background Information (NEW):**

TERMINOLOGY:

**Thalassa shell:** A rare shell discoverable only on Destiny Islands that is unique in shape and pink and yellow in colour. In the past, sailors had kept them close as a token of safe voyage.

Disclaimer: The author does not own Disney's _Moana_.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XI | date night

* * *

When Kairi exits the castle and crosses the moat, she's surprised to find Tidus waiting for her at the end of the walkway whilst leaning against a pickup truck.

"Not exactly the carriage you imagined?" he asks with amusement when he sees the somewhat confused and amused look on her face.

"No," Kairi admits wholeheartedly as he kindly opens the passenger side door for her, "but in a good way. It's quirky."

"Well to be honest, I totally would've chosen a horse-drawn carriage because I truly think you deserve to be treated like a princess, but I decided against it considering the events of the first Teenage Wasteland episode," Tidus explains bashfully.

"Huh," Kairi hums at the memory. She'd almost forgotten that she'd been portrayed as a bratty she-devil to practically everyone on the island and online. "That's very considerate of you… and also very cheesy," she adds cheekily at the mention of treating her like a princess.

Tidus chuckles as he shuts the car door and makes his way over to the driver's seat.

"Damn. Looks like I have to work on my charm," Tidus says while starting the engine.

"Why? It's not like you're trying to impress anyone," Kairi points out while adjusting her seat settings.

"Sure," Tidus says unconvincingly as he releases the parking brake, steps on the gas pedal, and takes off.

Not a moment later, a golf cart with two teenage boys trails behind him at a fair distance.

* * *

A stalkerish fifteen minute drive later, Sora and Hayner discover that Tidus has taken Kairi to a beachside drive-in theatre on the west side of the island. The retro outdoor theatre, which is already packed with vehicles lined up in an orderly fashion, appears as if it is suspended in time and bustles with life as teenagers animatedly chat and laugh amongst each other while they wait for the movie to start. The boys (rather, Sora) clumsily park their golf cart behind the neon-coloured concession stand and, much to Hayner's confusion, spy on Tidus and Kairi (who happen to be parked in the very center) from a nearby bush while _Moana_ just begins to play on the big screen.

"So, question…" Hayner starts as Sora sets up his binoculars. "Why am I here again?"

"Because you know how to work this thing," the brunet confesses as he surrenders the gadget over to Hayner who properly sets it up for night vision. "Besides, it's not like you had anything better to do."

"Hey!" the gamer screams defensively. Then, with deflated posture, "You're probably right… but if you're going to be so brutally honest about it, you could at least get me popcorn."

Out of courtesy, Sora retrieves fifteen munny from his pocket and hands it over to his companion. "But on the bright side, consider this recon for when you actually get a date—you know, with Olette."

Hayner blushes at the mention of the brunette beauty.

"We're all rooting for you, man," Sora assures with a thumbs up gesture.

"Wh-what? Who is 'all'?" Hayner questions, but he's quick to shake his head to ensure that his curiosity is not as apparent. "You know what? Nevermind that. What exactly are you gaining by spying on Tidus and Kairi? Are we going to try and sabotage their date? If so, I am _so_ in. I left my paintball gun in the golf cart just in case."

"There will be no sabotaging tonight," Sora announces dramatically while creeping through the binoculars, and Hayner's excitement immediately wanes. "We're just… making sure that Tidus isn't a total dick, you know?"

"Well that's the lamest excuse if I've ever heard one," Hayner points out. "Knowing you and your so-called relentless affections for Kairi, I'm sure that you'll classify anything Tidus does, including _breathe_ , as being a dick. That in itself rules out your reasoning, which brings me to my original question: why are we really here, Sora?"

The brunet gulps under the gamer's gaze. He knew he was intelligent, but he didn't expect him to be so observant either. He briefly wonders what he would gain if he told Hayner what he'd heard. Realistically looking at it, Hayner wasn't particularly fond of talking to other members of the castle (or so he projected) with the exception of Pence, which meant that they would likely be the only three to know. Hayner had all the cool gadgets, and Pence was great at snapping photos while remaining unseen. Perhaps the two would prove to be useful allies in his quest to destroy Tidus Clearwater after all.

"All right," Sora decides while lowering the binoculars. "I'll tell you what I heard."

When Sora finishes explaining his findings and his plan of exposing Tidus the next chance he gets, Hayner nearly jumps out of the bush himself.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sora asks fearfully as he holds the gamer back by the wrist.

"What are _you_ doing just hiding in this bush?" Hayner asks incredulously. "We need to tell Kairi about that weasel like, right now."

"No!" Sora pleads when he earns the winning pull and manages to get Hayner back in their trusted hiding spot. "We can't do this right now."

"Seriously? _Now_ you want to stay out of it?" Hayner asks with disbelief. "Isn't this what best friends are supposed to do? Tell each other the truth?"

Sora's shoulders stiffen when he catches a glimpse of Kairi laughing at something that her date had said, and it wasn't the fake kind of laughter either. It was genuine, and there was no way he could ruin that for her. True, she was with another guy, but bottom line, she was happy, and if he'd be the one to rain on her parade, he'd hate himself entirely for doing it. Best friends were supposed to support the other during their successes, not tear them down.

"They do tell each other the truth," Sora agrees melancholically, "but they also know when to withhold it."

Hayner follows Sora's line of sight and tries to grasp what he's getting at, but all he sees is the troubling silhouette of a liar.

"We can't tell her, Hayner," Sora decides. "Not yet at least."

It takes some thought, but Hayner eventually nods in compliance and keeps the intel to himself.

* * *

On the back of the pickup truck, Kairi finally understands why her date had chosen that specific vehicle for the night's festivities. With much comfort, she and Tidus sit side-by-side with their legs fully sprawled out before them and a bucket of popcorn wedged in between them.

"All right," Kairi says while popping a kernel into her mouth. "Most embarrassing childhood nickname you've heard. Mine was probably the one I gave Riku. I called him Riks for a while in middle school, like Reeks, but it didn't stick for obvious reasons."

"Huh, that _is_ a pretty embarrassing one," Tidus agrees while taking a swig of his soda, "but I think I've got you beat."

"Oh yeah?" Kairi challenges.

"Wakka called me Tidy-Widy," Tidus answers, and Kairi shamelessly lets out a laugh.

"Okay, you win," she declares with her hands raised.

"I've got a question for you now," Tidus says while turning his body towards her. "And I ask this because I find the dynamic of your household entertaining and think they'd be perfect for this kind of situation."

"Shoot," Kairi says while throwing another kernel in the air and effortlessly catching it in her mouth from years of practice with Sora and Riku on her living room couch.

"If you and all your housemates were stuck on a deserted island together and you eventually had to resort to cannibalism, who do you think would get eaten first?" Tidus asks.

"Huh, that's a tough one," Kairi admits while tapping her chin in deep thought.

"But it really shows character, no?" Tidus points out with a grin.

"There's just so many ways you could look at that," the redhead explains. "Like you could go for whoever's the oldest, the most annoying, or whoever's the easiest to manipulate, or whoever's got the best quality of meat... then you've got to look at survivability _after_ the fact…" While Tidus shakes his head in amusement at Kairi's serious response, the redhead finally formulates her answer after some thought. "Honestly, I think Hayner."

Kairi swears she hears someone nearby say something along the lines of "that bitch!" but decides to pay no mind to it as it likely didn't pertain to her.

Tidus, on the other hand, grins behind the rim of his soda can. "And why is that?"

"He'd probably be the first to go mad, so we'd really just be putting him out of his misery," Kairi explains.

"So you'd ultimately be doing him a kindness," Tidus says while raising his can as if to clink it with another.

"Precisely," Kairi confirms. She then leans back against the truck and relaxes her shoulders. "All right, serious question for you now."

"I'm all ears," Tidus says, and Kairi is quick to drop the bomb.

"Why did you join the Duel of Hearts on my birthday?" she asks with her eyes slightly narrowed in curiosity. "I mean, you hardly know me. I'm not exactly sure how I've managed to make an impression on you in the few weeks that we've been here."

She knows she's caught the blond off guard when his cheeks flush and eyes widen at the question.

"Well," Tidus starts while setting his drink down and clearing his throat. "To be fair, isn't that why people go on dates? To get to know each other better?"

Kairi's lips purse into a tight line at the answer. "Fair enough, but where did this need to get to know me better come from? You're Tidus Clearwater and I'm just some random girl from Destiny Islands. I guess what I'm really trying to ask is… why me?"

The perspiration beginning to form on Tidus' forehead doesn't go by unnoticed by the redhead.

"As I mentioned before, you really did interest me from the getgo," Tidus reiterates while wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Then, as if finally catching himself, he turns to face Kairi with his signature charming smile. "And you're certainly not just a random girl from Destiny Islands. This whole island thinks you're this whole other person, but I knew you weren't like that. I joined the Duel of Hearts because I wanted to know what you were _really_ like, and if I'm being honest, I'm glad I did."

Kairi's lips part slightly at the response. A part of her knows that being with Tidus would cause some trouble (a certain pop sensation comes to mind at this), but another couldn't help but find his intentions with her pure. He certainly didn't seem like the hit it and quit it type, and he genuinely seemed interested in just getting to know her. Sure he was cute and he seemed like a nice guy overall, but not nice enough to make her _really_ fall for him, and that was something she could live with. As long as no hearts would be broken in the process of their harmless, casual dates, then everything should work out in both their favours.

"Well, I'm glad you won the duel then," Kairi says while tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear with a satisfied smile.

Tidus immediately reciprocates it before turning his attention back to the movie. "So am I."

It isn't until a few minutes into the movie that Kairi realizes that someone was already suffering at the expense of their harmless dates.

 _Sora_ , Kairi thinks melancholically when Moana's grandmother places the heart of Te Fiti into her necklace and weakly hands it to her granddaughter. The item hits her with a full wave of nostalgia, and Kairi sinks back into the truck as memories from the year before resurface.

* * *

**Destiny Islands, one year ago**

With confident strides, sixteen-year-old Sora Takeuchi waltzes into the cafeteria of Destiny Islands High School and makes a beeline for his best friend and—almost—girlfriend at their usual table. Around his neck, he proudly wears a woven necklace with a clunky, fading thalassa shell attached, and plops down on his seat with his signature goofy grin. At the table, Riku and Kairi, both of which are still clad in their school uniforms as they were still enforced during summer terms, share a look and giggle at the amount of optimism that their best friend exhibits.

"You look awfully chipper for someone who's necklace sitting," Riku snickers while rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

Their school uniform, which typically consisted of a white dress shirt or golf shirt paired with light blue plaid pants for the boys or a plaid kilt for the girls, was topped with either a taupe-coloured vest, cardigan, or sweater, and completed with a matching plaid tie. While Riku and Kairi were fans of the sweater for the occasional chilly summer nights, Sora always opted for either the vest, cardigan, or disobeying the rules entirely by hanging either one loosely over one shoulder.

"I am not _necklace sitting_ ," Sora insists as he retrieves his sandwich from his backpack. "I'm merely carrying out the duties of Kairi's father, as requested."

The ends of Kairi's lips curve upward into a knowing grin at the mention of her father's request. Precisely a week after her sixteenth birthday, she and Sora had followed through with their word to Aqua and explained to her parents that they were interested in each other romantically, and while Kairi's mother admittedly thought they were still a little young, she trusted Sora and was overall supportive of the idea. Her father, however, was a different story. He was well aware that the two shared a very special friendship, so he wasn't completely opposed to it, but as Sora had failed in the Duel of Hearts, he decided to have him participate in a task that would test his character.

"This necklace has been in our family for generations," the mayor had said in his study while presenting the delicate item to Sora in a box. "It belonged to the first leader of Destiny Islands, crafted with utmost care with the first thalassa shell ever discovered."

"Whoa," Sora says, daunted and amazed by the item at the same time. The shell, which appears to have rightfully faded overtime, still gradually fades from yellow to pink at the very tip.

"Your task, Sora, will be to wear it and keep it safe for one week," the mayor explains. "Do you think you can do that?"

"I believe so," Sora says while accepting it and fastening it around his neck with confidence. Behind him, Kairi shares a look with her father and suppresses a laugh.

"Good," the mayor says. "If you can prove to me that you can keep something delicate safe and untarnished, then I will allow you to date my daughter. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," Sora answers with a determined salute.

Back in the cafeteria, Kairi applauds her—almost—boyfriend's optimism and excitement.

"Wow Sora, I'm very proud of you," she compliments. "You've only got until dinner tonight until you're home free."

"Seriously though," Riku interjects. "I thought you were going to drop it on day one, so I'm just as proud."

"Wow, thanks for your kind words," Sora says with his mouth half full.

"Well I've got a test in half an hour and I'd like to get some studying in, so I'll catch you guys later," Kairi informs while getting up and packing her belongings.

"Wait, first of all, we have a test?" Sora squeaks. "And second, why can't you study with us?"

Riku only shakes his head with his eyes closed and arms crossed at the question.

"Because you're distracting," Kairi answers bluntly while poking at one of his spikes.

"Hey!" Sora argues. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Precisely what she said," Riku answers tiredly. Kairi playfully rolls her eyes at the two as she turns her heel.

"Wait!" Sora calls. "Riku and I have swimming practice later, but I'm still driving you home, right?"

Kairi nods. "Yup! I'll see you after practice." She then leans over and offers him a quick peck on the cheek before walking out, and Sora places a hand on his face with a dazed expression.

"You two are so gross," Riku remarks with a teasing smirk.

"Suck my ass."

Later that afternoon, Sora tosses Kairi his spare helmet before she boards the back of his scooter in the parking lot.

"Wow, I love this cologne you're wearing," Kairi teases as she wraps her arms around his waist and rests her chin on his shoulder from behind. "What is that, chlorine?"

"Ha ha," Sora replies sarcastically while starting the engine and taking off. In the middle of their fifteen-minute ride, Kairi takes a break from admiring the scenery of the sunset-painted beach and places a hand overtop the necklace on Sora's neck. "What's up?" Sora asks when he feels her hand on his chest.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Kairi insists as she toys with the shell. "I just find it strange that this has supposedly been with my family for years, yet I've never actually seen or held it after all this time."

"Well you can get a closer look when we get back to your house," Sora suggests with his eyes on the road. "I just can't risk anything happening to it before then, you know?"

"Oh please," Kairi answers nonchalantly as her hands move to the knot on the back of his neck. "I just want to have a closer look."

"Kairi, seriously, don't touch it," Sora warns when she feels her hands lingering behind his neck.

"Sora, we're like five minutes away," she reasons while untying the necklace. "Seriously, what could happen?"

Sora's heart stops when he feels the weight of the shell being lifted from his shoulders but feels the air rush back into his lungs when he sees that Kairi had successfully caught it in her hand.

"Woman, you're going to be the death of me," he says shakily.

Kairi giggles at his reaction and admires the shell in the daylight. "Oh, don't be so dramatic."

Then, without warning, the necklace suddenly slips from Kairi's hand and falls to the ground, the fragile shell shattering into pieces. Sora immediately pulls over to the side and stares at the mess with his eyes wide, jaw agape and his face pale. When the coast is clear, he gets off his scooter and walks over to what remains of the necklace and picks it up with a look of complete and utter disbelief.

"Sora… I'm so sorry," Kairi whispers, her eyes just as wide as his. "I really didn't mean to."

"You realize this was the only chance we had at getting your father's approval?" Sora asks, his voice a few octaves higher.

"I… I do," Kairi answers wearily.

"And you really couldn't have waited until we got to your house?" the brunet asks through gritted teeth as he tries to keep his frustration contained.

"I'm sorry," Kairi repeats.

Sora sighs defeatedly as he throws the remains of the necklace into his backpack and reboards his scooter. Out of sheer desperation, he briefly considers replacing the shell with one from the shore but realizes that it would be futile given that the original was much lower in saturation.

"Well, we're out of time," he points out hopelessly. "Let's just… get this over with."

"What are you going to do?" Kairi asks when he starts the engine.

"I… don't know," Sora admits as he takes off. The remainder of the ride is spent in silence.

In front of the mayor's elegant but daunting mansion, Kairi's parents stand at the top of the curved stone stairways that converge to the front entrance and watch as Sora and their daughter pull up to the bottom steps. After removing their protective gear, the two mutter amongst themselves for a few moments, Sora's head hung low, and eventually make their way to the top of the staircase hand-in-hand. For reasons Kairi's parents can't fathom, Sora looks absolutely distraught.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Hart," Sora greets politely, albeit weakly. He's able to make eye contact, but barely.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Kairi's mother asks with concern very evident in her voice.

"Oh," Sora says, just realizing that he was making his disappointment far more evident than he intended. He then straightens his posture and clears his throat. "Nothing, Mrs. Hart. Everything's fine."

"Well, it's been one week since I've assigned your task," Kairi's father reminds. "Did you manage to complete it without fail?"

Sora and Kairi share a look before the former decides to remove his backpack from his shoulders.

"Um, not exactly…" Sora confesses as he unzips his bag and retrieves the remains of the necklace. He wordlessly hands it to Kairi's father who takes what's left with his jaw slightly agape. Kairi's mother opts for a shocked gasp.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart," Sora apologizes wholeheartedly. To affirm him of her support, Kairi places a hand on his back and rubs comforting circles into it.

"What happened?" the mayor decides to ask after a moment of silence.

For a brief moment, Sora locks eyes with a guilty Kairi, and he lightly removes her hand from his back: a gesture she has long associated with the words "It's okay, I got this".

"I did it," Sora then admits bravely, and Kairi immediately places a hand on his shoulder at the lie.

"Sora—" she starts.

"No, it's okay," he insists as he takes the blame and firmly locks eyes with her father who allows him to continue. "I accidentally dropped it on the way home," Sora explains while slowly getting down on both knees. "I understand that this necklace was an irreplaceable heirloom that belonged to the first leader of the island, so I'm sorry that I failed you, Mr. Hart. You entrusted me with this simple task but I was unable to follow through, and for that I greatly apologize; I do, however, know with absolute certainty that your daughter is very important to me, and I would appreciate any chance to keep fighting for her."

While Kairi's heart swells at the words, her father frowns at the teenage boy before his feet, and for a moment Sora's entire world comes crashing down… that is, until the mayor's lips curve upward into a proud smile.

"Congratulations, Sora," Kairi's father says. "You passed."

When Kairi and her mother break out into excited squeals, Sora finds himself at a loss for words.

"Wh… what?" he questions, dumbfounded. "I passed? But… I broke the necklace."

"Sora, when my daughter purposely dropped that necklace, you had two choices," the mayor explains knowingly, and Sora twitches at the word 'purposely'. "You could either turn your back and pin the blame on her, or take the fall in her stead. The real purpose of this test wasn't so that you could just take care of the necklace, but to prove how much you actually care for my daughter even during a tough situation. Now I truly know that even when faced with adversity, you'll stand your ground and do what you feel is right, which shows strength of heart and good character. Well done, Sora."

As the message sinks into the brunet's head, Kairi unzips her backpack and hands her father the real necklace encased in its rightful box, and Sora watches the exchange with disbelief.

"What? When did you manage to swap them out?" he asks.

"When you and Riku left for swimming practice," Kairi answers simply. "I had him switch them in the locker room."

"Riku was in on this too?" Sora asks with narrowed eyes. "So this whole thing…"

"Was a setup from the beginning," Kairi concludes. "But you passed, which means…"

The two teenagers turn to look at the mayor with hopeful expressions.

"Yes," the mayor confirms with a hearty laugh. "Sora Takeuchi, you officially have permission to date my daughter."

" _Yes_!" Sora exclaims while punching a victorious fist into the air. Then, when he realizes where he is, he shamefully pulls his hand back down and clears his throat. "I mean, thank you sir. You won't regret this."

"I'm sure you won't give me reason to," the mayor agrees. He then lets out a slight "oof!" when his daughter crashes into his chest and wraps her arms around his waist.

"Thanks dad," Kairi mumbles into his dress shirt. She feels him run a hand through her head affectionately before placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You're welcome, princess," he answers.

"Well then, you two go off and celebrate," Kairi's mother suggests while gently ushering Sora down the staircase. Just before Kairi joins him, her father calls her back for a quick word.

"Kairi, you're aware we're still waiting on the results from Radiant Garden Academy, right?" her father asks in a hushed, but stern voice. "I trust you know what that entails?"

"I do," Kairi answers, although she's too caught up in her excitement to truly understand what her father is really trying to say.

"All right," he says while letting her go. "As long as you know what you're doing. I'm just looking out for you, princess."

"I know," Kairi says while offering both her parents another quick embrace before skipping down the steps.

"Don't be home too late!" Kairi's mother reminds when her daughter is halfway down the staircase.

"I won't!" the redhead answers back.

"Anything I have to worry about?" Sora asks while tossing Kairi's helmet back in her direction.

"Nope," Kairi answers while hopping into the back seat and openly snuggling into him. "Not at all."

Moments later, Sora and Kairi exit the Inside Scoop diner hand-in-hand with milkshakes in their spare hands, the latter with the former's slightly larger cardigan wrapped around her shoulders to shield herself from the winds of the rather chilly summer night. They idly walk down the boardwalk, admiring the view of the beach during dusk, the slightest spray of water hitting their cheeks, and the feeling of freedom that the summer air promised. They appreciate each other's company in a pleasant silence, and it isn't until Kairi leans her head on Sora's shoulder that she decides to break it.

"This is so nice," she comments dreamily.

"I know," Sora agrees while tightening his grip on her hand affectionately. "I'm so glad I finally get to hold your hand out in the open like this."

"Oh, I was talking about the milkshake," Kairi teases while shaking her half-empty styrofoam cup, "but I suppose that's nice, too."

"Wow," Sora says while releasing his hand from hers. "I endured a task that nearly sent me into cardiac arrest for you, and this is my reward? Thanks a lot, Kairi."

He gasps slightly when he suddenly feels her soft lips against his cheek and her hand sneakily re-laced with his.

"You're very welcome," she whispers, and as a sign of forgiveness, Sora quickly kisses her forehead. "So now that we're officially dating," the redhead starts, but she has to cut herself short when Sora starts giggling beside her like a giddy schoolgirl. "What?"

"Sorry," he apologizes sheepishly. "I'm still trying to get used to it."

Kairi playfully rolls her eyes at his honesty but nonetheless finds him adorable. "Anyways, as I was saying, now that we're dating, I think we need to sort some things out so that Riku doesn't feel like a total third wheel. We need to keep all these peas in the pod, you know?"

"For sure," Sora agrees after taking a sip of his cookies and cream milkshake. "We wouldn't want him to feel excluded."

"Exactly," Kairi answers as they make their way to the pier. "So first things first: we can't be showing PDA all the time."

"Can I kiss you if he turns around?" Sora asks with a slight pout.

"The guy's practically a ninja, Sora," Kairi reminds when they reach the end of the pier and take their seats, their feet dangling over the edge. "I doubt we could sneak that past him even if he was blindfolded."

"Truth," Sora admits. "So always try to keep it at a minimum. Got it. I do have a question, though."

"Shoot," Kairi says.

"How are we going to watch movies with the guy?" Sora questions. "Like, who sits where? We obviously don't want to be making out beside him in the theatre."

"Hmm," Kairi hums while biting the tip of her straw. "Valid question. I suppose he'll have to sit in the middle."

"I suppose that's fair," Sora admits with slumped shoulders. "That means he's on popcorn duty though, so I guess I'm cool with that."

"We also can't make him pick sides if we argue," Kairi suggests.

"And we need to include him in all the inside jokes, too," Sora adds.

"We'll need to keep encouraging group activities," Kairi continues, "and if you guys need your bro time, I'll totally respect that."

Sora happily throws an arm over Kairi's shoulders at her consideration and understanding.

"You are _so_ cool, Kai," he compliments. "I can't believe I didn't even need to ask about that. I think I may just have the best girlfriend ever."

Both teens pause at the use of the unexpected word and immediately share a look. While Sora looks absolutely mortified for slipping so dismissively, Kairi's lips are pursed into a tight line.

"Did… did you just use the G word?" she asks slyly with a smile tugging at her lips.

"U-um…" Sora starts while scratching the back of his head. "Perhaps I did." When Kairi doesn't respond, he sighs and turns his sights back to the dusk-reflecting waters. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I know we haven't discussed labels yet, and I guess I was just too caught up in my excitement that I—"

"Sora, you have nothing to apologize for," Kairi assures while setting her milkshake down and caressing one of his cheeks. Sora melts into her hand and looks into her eyes lovingly.

"Really?" he then asks, the slightest smirk on his lips. "And why is that?"

"Because I consider you my B word," she answers simply. He surprises her by crossing his arms defiantly with a frown.

"So I'm basically your Bitch," he remarks teasingly. When Kairi reaches upward to hit him across the head, Sora grabs her wrist and pulls her to him to capture her lips with his and sighs in delight when he feels his girlfriend sag against him and embrace his neck lovingly.

After their euphoric liplock, the two sit by the edge of the pier, leaning against each other with their shoulders touching, and watch as dusk transforms into night in a silence where nothing needs to be said to understand everything.

* * *

Back in the presence of Tidus' pickup truck, Kairi feels her shoulder brush against his ever so slightly and surprises even herself when she immediately rejects the proximity. Tidus, however, noticeably blushes at the contact before turning his sights back onto the big screen.

During the next song number, a gust of wind blows over the theatre, and Kairi shivers at the sudden contact. Like a true gentleman, Tidus reaches for a hoodie in his back seat and wordlessly hands it over to Kairi who accepts it with a thankful, but simultaneously unsure smile. She wraps the hoodie around her shoulders, but despite its warmth, she can't help but think that the air still feels cold.

Physically, she's with him, but emotionally, even she can feel that she's worlds away.

Approximately two rows behind Tidus' truck and parked slightly to the left, Riku and 'Alice' enjoy the movie in their favourite little golf cart with a giant bag full of assorted gummies that the former had stolen from the castle's pantry.

"So what exactly are we fulfilling on the teenage bucket list today?" Xion asks while comfortably throwing her legs up on the front of the cart and popping a gummi bear into her mouth. "Going on a cheesy first date?"

She nearly spits out the gummi at the look on Riku's face.

"Calm your balls, Riku. I was just kidding," Xion assures with a playful nudge.

Riku shakes his head disapprovingly. "Good, because this is hardly a good choice for a first date. Clammy hand holding, being afraid to reach for the popcorn because your hands might accidentally touch, strategically timed expectant looks before finally deciding to make out? No thanks. Sounds like way too much work. If you just want to make out, then be straight up about it. If you ask me, movies are a friend thing, which is precisely why I'd written _watch a movie with friends_ on your list and not _unbearably awkward first date at the movies_."

"Maybe you just haven't found the right companion," Xion suggests optimistically.

"Or maybe I'm just an anomaly," Riku adds.

"Perhaps," Xion says while turning her attention to the movie. Towards the middle, a thought suddenly comes to Xion's mind.

"Riku, what's your tragic backstory?" she suddenly asks.

Riku chuckles at the question. "What?"

"Your tragic backstory," Xion repeats. "Maui has one, which is why he's so hell bent on proving his worth. You must have a reason for being… well, you."

"I'm sorry, are you comparing me to a fictitious Disney character?" Riku asks as if seeking confirmation.

"Well if we're comparing your luscious locks then I think Maui's got you beat," Xion teases. "Yes, you buttsack, I'm asking why you've become this brooding, mysterious playboy."

"There is no tragic backstory," Riku answers simply. "This is just how I am."

Xion defiantly shakes her head. "I don't buy that for a second. Don't try to play dumb, Riku. I can see there's more to you than what you let on. It must have been one hell of a girl to turn you into Mr. Steal Yo Girl."

Riku briefly glances at Kairi's silhouetted figure and feels the slightest but bearable fluttering in his chest at the receding memory.

"Yeah, she was," Riku eventually agrees while leaning back in the driver's seat. "But it wasn't tragic. Just disheartening. It's nothing in comparison to what you're going through."

Xion frowns slightly at his words.

"Look, you don't have to tell me what happened," she assures, "but just because some people supposedly have it worse doesn't mean your problems are invalid. That's not the way it works. If it affects you, it matters."

While Riku is taken aback by the statement, Xion continues to nonchalantly munch on her gummies. He was never one to talk about his feelings much, but because she'd opened up to him about her condition, he figures that it's only fair that he shared what he felt was now harmless information. Much like Sora and Kairi, Xion had this trustworthy vibe, and this was something he could share with her.

"There was one girl," he finally whispers, and Xion's eyes soften at his sudden confession. "I competed for her affections for years, but all my efforts proved to be worthless in the end because she's always had her eyes on another guy."

Xion scoots a little closer so that their shoulders just touch and pops another gummi into her mouth.

"Was it Kairi?" she asks slyly, and she immediately chuckles at his reaction. The surprised look on her companion's face gives him away entirely. "Oh, please. The way you worded it made it so obvious that Sora and Kairi were part of the tale somehow. Besides, I can't blame you. Kairi's like a ten out of ten would smash."

Riku shakes his head disapprovingly with an amused smile playing at his lips. "Meh, she's all right."

"We'll go on," Xion demands while readying her hand for another gummi.

Riku sighs and runs a hand through his silver locks as memories of the past resurface, but with each passing moment, he begins to feel a little lighter. "After Sora and Kairi got together, I admit I was a little peeved at first, but I eventually got used to it. They did their best to make sure I didn't feel like a third wheel, and I really appreciated that they did a good job, but at the end of the day I just figured why bother trying at all, you know?" Riku questions. "Why waste the time and effort on something that isn't guaranteed? Sounds like a lot of unnecessary heartbreak in my opinion."

For reasons he can't fathom, Riku nearly goes on about another past event that deeply affected him, but he purposely leaves out the part about his Keyblade master because he feels as if it's still… unresolved. The pain of his absence nearly gets to him, but Xion places a reassuring hand on his shoulder before the memory can truly hit him with visceral force.

"Nothing is ever guaranteed," Xion agrees, "but isn't that the beauty of it, though? Not knowing what's going to happen next? And even if you do get your heart broken, there's always a lesson to be learned in there somewhere. That's what makes it so exciting and special—at least, that's what I think despite having no experience in the love department. Just my two cents."

And when Xion resumes her nonchalant munching as if absolutely nothing just happened, Riku decides to take back his statement from earlier. If anyone was an anomaly, it was her. For someone going through something so negative, she sure had a positive outlook on things.

* * *

Just an hour before midnight, Tidus parks his truck in front of the Disney castle and kindly offers to walk Kairi to the door.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight, Tidus," Kairi says as they walk past the moat with his sweater still wrapped around her shoulders. "I had a great time. I think I really needed that."

"You're very welcome," Tidus says while throwing his hands into his pockets. When they reach the front of the door, the two turn towards each other and share an awkward glance.

"Oh!" Kairi suddenly exclaims amidst the brief silence. She shrugs his hoodie off her shoulders and hands it to him. "Thanks for this, too."

"Um, you can keep it," Tidus offers, but Kairi pushes back with determination.

"It's yours," Kairi insists.

"Really, I'm good," Tidus says without removing his hands from his pockets.

Kairi narrows her eyes in suspicion. "Why are you so determined to have me keep your sweater?"

After rocking back and forth on his heels, Tidus finally blurts it out. "Because it'll give me an excuse to see you again."

Kairi immediately purses her lips and tries not to laugh at the bashful delivery of his response. It may have been cute coming from the star player of the Zanarkand Abes, but she wouldn't let his status get to her. Perhaps Riku had been right to warn her. It seemed that a part of Tidus really _did_ want their time together to be more than just a hangout.

"Oh, Tidus," she starts, "you _are_ good." Then, with a knowing grin, "But I'm afraid that was far too cheesy, even for someone of your caliber."

He offers her a shy smile in reply when he finally accepts his sweater from her. "I had to try."

The two bring back the awkward silence from earlier, but after a few moments of staring at their sneakers, Kairi finally decides to explain herself.

"Look, Tidus," she starts, "I've done the summer thing before, and it didn't exactly work out." Her thoughts then drift onto Sora, and her shoulders somewhat sag at the memory of their dramatic parting. "Realistically, come summer's end, you and I will go our separate ways. I'll be in Radiant Garden, and you'll be in Zanarkand. I just don't see it working out beyond this island, so if you don't mind… do you think we can keep this thing between us super casual? I just… don't want us to lose out on what could possibly be a great friendship. You're really sweet, and I really did have a nice time tonight."

"Hm," Tidus hums as he looks up at the night sky in contemplation. "I'm not going to lie, it's not my ideal situation, but if that's what it will take for me to spend more time with you, then I'll respect your decision."

Kairi blinks twice at the response. She certainly wasn't expecting him to be so accommodating so quickly.

"Wow. Thanks for understanding, Tidus," Kairi says graciously while hugging her arm.

"Of course," he says with a nod. "Now, before I head back to my truck… can I at least get an awkward hug?"

Kairi chuckles at the honesty and outstretches her arms.

Upstairs, on the balcony of the third floor lounge, Sora watches the two embrace by the moat with misty eyes, his chin dramatically resting on one of his palms, but before he can fully wallow in the pits of despair, he hears someone open the lounge door behind him and is surprised to find Riku walking in with a somewhat confused look on his face.

"Riku," Sora greets as he re-enters the Pride Lands-themed lounge complete with themed walls, a drink bar, a miniature waterfall, and excessive amounts of both tribal and animal prints.

"Can I talk to you?" his best friend asks—almost anxiously, if Sora may add.

"Of course," Sora says while plopping down on the couch and patting the seat next to him. "What's up?"

Riku formulates his answer carefully as he makes his way over to the couch and sits down. "Something… weird happened," he decides to say.

Sora immediately gasps. "Oh _no_. Man, I didn't think we'd be discussing this so soon."

Upon instinct, Riku crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow in suspicion because he knows that there's _no way in hell_ Sora could possibly figure out what he had in mind. "Okay, I'm probably going to regret asking, but what do you think is going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sora asks. "You got a girl pregnant, didn't you?"

Riku's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets.

"Don't worry man, I got you covered!" Sora assures. "As your best friend, my babysitting services are totally free. My only condition, of course, is that I'm the first godparent, otherwise I charge twenty munny and two sea-salt ice cream bars per hour. Oh, Uncle Sora and Riku Jr. are going to have so much fun baking together!"

"Okay, that's enough babbling," Riku decides after rubbing his temples in annoyance. "Besides, I haven't even… nevermind," he stammers. "Anyways, I did not get a girl pregnant, Sora. I did, however, open up to one, which is why I sought your… wise company." He immediately regrets saying it the instant it comes out of his mouth.

Sora's excitement, however, immediately dies down at Riku's confession. "Whoa. You opened up to a girl? To be honest I found that less likely than my assumption."

"Yeah, I got that," Riku scoffs.

"Was it Alice?" Sora asks curiously. When Riku nods, the brunet leans back in his seat and releases a breath he wasn't even aware of holding. "Well, I can't say I'm a hundred percent surprised. You _have_ been spending a lot of time with her lately. I guess my question is... why her?"

"That's my question exactly," Riku answers. "You're the sensitive one. You tell me. You're the one that's good with…" He shudders at the word. "Feelings."

"Well I think it's pretty clear what's going on here: you like her," Sora immediately concludes, but before Riku can deny it, Sora follows up with "but not in the way you're thinking. I think you like her enough to be comfortable around her because you've reached that friendship level, you know?"

"Hm," Riku hums, tasting the words. Friendship was an F word he could deal with. Feelings? Not so much. And now that he thought about it, he wouldn't mind considering Xion a friend. He liked her enough that he genuinely enjoyed her company, she didn't openly swoon at his feet like half the girls on the island, she wasn't afraid to tell him things straight, and their sufferings had formed a rather unique bond between them that he couldn't quite place, but knew he appreciated.

"You know, I think you may be onto something, Sora," Riku admits.

"I got you," Sora says while playfully dusting off his shoulder. "I realize that this all probably feels really weird to you all things considered, but don't feel bad about it. Gaining a soft spot for someone you think you can trust is a normal thing."

"Yeah," Riku agrees. "She's going through a lot right now and was willing to trust me with her hardships, so I figured I'd somewhat return the favour."

"I'm not sure if you remember, but that's called compassion," Sora teases. "Again, totally a normal thing… especially for a girl you'll be crushing on come summer's end."

Riku immediately hops off the couch at Sora's ridiculous assumption.

"And that is where our conversation ends," Riku decides while heading towards the door and opening it. "See ya."

"Oh come on!" Sora says while trailing behind him. "You're going to like her more eventually! It's like cupid's arrow grazed your left ass cheek just now, but maybe next time you won't be so lucky!"

"Sometimes I wonder why Kairi ever dated you," Riku remarks teasingly.

"Because I have a big penis!" Sora yells back when his best friend is halfway down the hallway. Behind him, Axel and Larxene just turn the corner and blink twice at Sora's random outburst. While the latter places a hand on her hip with a half-smirk, Axel crosses his arms defensively.

"I guarantee you mine's bigger," he immediately claims. Larxene only rolls her eyes with amusement.

* * *

An hour past midnight, during one of her restless tossing and turning episodes, Kairi finally surrenders to the late night craving that refuses to leave her mind and eventually wills herself to get up and take action.

She throws on her slippers, pulls on a sweater and makes her way to the elevators as the taste of the birthday cake Sora and Riku had made her the day before still lingers in her taste buds. When she finally reaches the first floor, she tiptoes over to the kitchen, careful not to knock down any knight sculptures in her path, and stealthily sneaks herself into the kitchen where her lips part in surprise.

Sora is already there, sitting on a stool and hovering over a stainless steel countertop with a carton of milk, a half-empty glass, and a half-eaten cake to match. In the middle of what appears to be misty-eyed sulking and contemplation, Sora's eyes eventually snap upward and he nearly falls out of his stool in shock.

"Kairi," he greets, "h-hey."

"Hey to you, too," she says while making her way around the counter to join him.

"I'm starting to think that you like following me in the middle of the night," Sora teases, recalling their late night encounter by the backyard pool.

"In your dreams," Kairi says while taking the stool next to him.

"Holy crap," Sora says as he begins to feel the countertop as if to test its physical existence. "Am I dreaming right now? That would actually be great considering that I just ate half a cake that tasted pretty real."

Kairi chortles while opening one of the drawers to retrieve a fork for herself. "No, I'm afraid you're very much awake, which means you really did consume all those calories. Mind if I partake?"

Sora merely slides over the cake in response.

"So what brings you to the kitchen at this ungodly hour?" Sora asks while resting an elbow on the countertop and resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

Amidst her satisfied chewing, Kairi washes the cake down with some milk from Sora's glass and swallows. "Well, a wise soul once told me that if you find yourself hungry in the middle of the night, you should just surrender to it, otherwise—"

"—you'll be up thinking about it all night," Sora finishes knowingly. "Gee, I wonder which hunk of a guy gave you that wise advice."

"Probably the guy that just ate half of this cake," Kairi answers with a laugh, and Sora can't help but feel that despite the night's festivities, this is one of the most playful interactions he's shared with her since the beginning of their vacation. She looks as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders (initially caused from the tension _he'd_ foolishly forced upon her earlier that day), and her eyes hold a familiar brightness to them that reminds him of pre-boarding school Kairi. Relaxed, adventurous, fun-loving Kairi.

"What about you?" Kairi then asks, snapping Sora out of his daze. "What are you doing here?"

Sora's eyes somewhat haze at the question. Truth be told, he'd been mulling over the decision of telling Kairi about Tidus and Selphie's evil intentions or leaving it entirely, but now that he gets a good look at her, he decides then and there that he can't tell her—not yet, at least. Not when she _just_ got a taste of a stress-free summer vacation; not when he's caused her enough emotional trouble; not when she's the closest she's ever been to the happy, lighthearted Kairi he remembers. He couldn't possibly take that away from her.

Besides, exposing Tidus could've been considered unfair leverage in his overall quest to win her back her affections. If Kairi was going to be his girlfriend again, he would do it fairly—not by pointing fingers. True, he was her best friend and it was his rightful duty to tell her everything ( _especially_ the harmful things), but as he recalls, talking badly about others hadn't been working out in his favour as of late. To get her back, he'd have to play Kairi's game and remain the supportive best friend. Supportive Sora was the safe choice; Supportive Sora had received a hug earlier; Supportive Sora was the way to go.

So despite being caught between a rock and a hard place, Sora decides.

"I'm just here for the same reason as you," he finally says while picking up his fork and stealing another piece. Then, with a pained smile, Supportive Sora makes his next move. "So how did your date go?"

The question catches Kairi off guard, but Sora can tell by the ways her eyes soften that it's in a good way. He mentally notes that Supportive Sora has gained another point.

"It went… well," Kairi words carefully while chewing, "but in the end we just decided to keep things casual."

"I see," Sora says with a slow nod, trying to understand exactly what she meant by 'keeping things casual'. "So does that mean like… a friends with benefits kind of situation?"

Kairi immediately turns red at Sora's assumption and what it insinuates. "What? No! I meant casual as in nothing too serious! I can't believe you'd even think that I'd agree to something like that!"

"Well sorry, you said casual!" Sora explains while flailing his arms around. "That can mean a lot of things!"

Kairi then places both her hands on the metal counter and gives Sora the most awkward grin he's ever seen her pull off. "Okay, I'm not going to lie: I know you're my best friend, but it feels really awkward talking about this with my ex-boyfriend." She then glances at what remains of the cake and the carton of milk. "Say, want to finish the rest of this while playing Call of Destiny like we used to in the den?"

Sora's heart skips a beat at the offer. "So we can mercilessly wreck some space zombies?" He then grabs the cake and presents the doorway to her with a flourish. "But of course."

And when Kairi skips past him with the carton of milk, Sora can't help but follow her dazedly, all the while thinking that Supportive Sora was definitely the way to go—for now, at least.

**tbc**


	12. just sora

**Background Information:**

**TERMINOLOGY**

**Blitzball:** An aquatic sport that originated from Spira which involves a spherically-studded ball that can be kicked, thrown, and/or used as a weapon. Players are submerged in a spherical stadia congealed with pyreflies, allowing them to remain active underwater for long periods of time. The goal is to knock the blitzball into the opposing team's triangular-shaped goal and, similarly, prevent them from scoring. Each half of the game lasts for five minutes, totalling in ten minutes per game, and the team with the most points wins.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XII | just sora

* * *

The following day at breakfast, Sora learns the hard way that being Supportive best friend Sora is much easier said than done. Per Kairi's invitation, Tidus is present at the dining table, and Sora has the misfortune of having him sit on the side he's supposed to serve.

"Here," he mumbles while setting down Tidus' glass of orange juice on the table. Despite the grumpy delivery, his arch nemesis offers him a toothy smile that shows off his pearly whites.

"Thank you, Sora," he says graciously.

"You're welcome," Sora says through gritted teeth. At the display of male perfection, he nearly crushes the other glass in his hand but manages to catch himself when Hayner clears his throat beside him.

"Tone it down," the gamer whispers discreetly. With much difficulty, Sora nods and straightens his posture.

Hayner had been right last night. Anything that Tidus did, even _breathe_ , could be classified as annoying. His presence alone was enough to put him on edge. True, Sora had seen him with Kairi last night during their 'date', but seeing them sit side-by-side firsthand in the light… it was getting a little hard to bear. Defeat, he realizes, is extra bitter when you know the taste of victory, and his gaming session last night with Kairi was nothing short of a glorious one. They'd spent nearly the entire night shooting at space zombies together, their efforts proving to be so tiring that they'd fallen asleep next to each other on the couch, but come first light, Sora had awoken to an empty space next to him, and next thing he knew, he was serving drinks to Prince Charming.

Back in presence of the dining room, Sora narrows his eyes when Tidus leans over to whisper a joke to the woman of his affections, and when Kairi chuckles in return, he nearly loses it.

Screw Supportive Sora. Fuck Shit Up Sora was in the house now, and he was just about ready to cut a bitch.

His dark thoughts, however, are cut short when Olette announces that the newest episode of Teenage Wasteland has just been released on the island's website. She hooks up her tablet to the TV screen in the dining room via Bluetooth, and everyone prepares themselves for the next potential trainwreck.

" **Good afternoon Kingdom Hearts Resort, and welcome to the second episode of Teenage Wasteland!"** Selphie greets. After going through the motions of her usual introduction, she informs the island of the latest gossip pertaining the members of the Disney castle. " **A lot has changed since your last look at our special guests! For starters, The Oathkeepers, the band led by MeTube sensation Roxas Akiyama, have made it into the Battle of the Bands competition, and judging by their performances, they're a popular pick!"**

As footage from the Oathkeepers' audition and first performance are shown, Roxas and Axel share a surprised, but pleasant glance while the remainder of the household applauds at their growing success.

"You guys are really good," Tidus compliments. "I honestly think you have a real shot at winning the entire competition."

Roxas rubs the back of his head, flattered at receiving a compliment from a teen celebrity. "Gee... that's awfully high praise from you, Tidus. Thanks."

"Especially since you used to date Yuna Riel," Axel reminds through a mouthful of pancakes. At the mention of Tidus' ex-girlfriend, Kairi noticeably tenses, but the moment is luckily short lived. No more than a second later, another misunderstanding captures the limelight.

" **Could our big, bad playboy Axel be cheating on poor Xion?"** Selphie then questions. During her voiceover, footage of Larxene sneaking out of Axel's room and Larxene dragging Axel around by the hand at Kairi's party is shown. At the sight of his 'special friend' being dragged into Selphie's web of lies, a fork drops from Axel's mouth in shock while Xion opts for a disapproving head shake.

" **Princess Kairi strikes again,"** Selphie then says. " **On her birthday, she has the Oathkeepers do a private performance for her, and in honour of tradition on Destiny Islands, she has six boys prove their worth to date her."**

As various b-roll of Kairi's party is shown followed by coverage of the Duel of Hearts, Sora and the redhead roll their eyes at the silly accusation while Tidus fakes a disapproving finger wag.

" **Tidus Clearwater emerges victorious in this Duel of Hearts, and the two are reportedly dating. Only the best for our princess!"**

At the word 'dating', footage of Tidus offering his hoodie to Kairi at the drive-in is shown, and Kairi and Tidus share a timid look while Sora fights the urge to flip the entire dining table.

" **Riku sets his eyes on a new girl…"**

Riku and Xion's eyes grow wide as a montage of Riku and 'Alice's' little outings are shown: the two holding a helmet at the go-kart track, Riku laughing at Alice's reaction to mac and cheese with ketchup at Arcadia, the two sharing an interaction backstage during the Oathkeepers' first performance, Riku teaching Alice how to play beer pong at Kairi's party, the two sharing a heartfelt talk at the drive-in theatre…

" **... leaving poor Sora to find a rebound to soothe his broken heart."**

Everyone at the table bursts out laughing when footage of Hayner winking at the camera during his first Alliance of the Ancients match in Arcadia is followed by Sora cheering him on from the sidelines. Footage of Sora jumping over the rails at Hayner's victory and tripping over a cable in the arena is then shown, and both the footage and the music slow when Hayner catches the brunet with embarrassment. Hearts are animated overtop the frozen frame, just as Pence had predicted that very day, and Hayner in the present defeatedly slams his head onto his plate of food. But just when Sora thinks it can't get any worse, footage of him buying Hayner popcorn at the drive-in theatre as promised is shown before Olette finally decides that enough is enough and pauses the video.

"My life is over," Hayner mumbles.

"That implies you had one before," Axel snickers.

Hayner lifts his head up from his plate and glares at the pyromaniac through his crepe-covered face. "Listen here you two-timing Lover Boy–"

"Guys, guys!" Kairi yells from her seat when the two boys stand up and start a glaring contest. "Again, this is what they want. Cut it out."

The two boys narrow their eyes before complying and returning to their seats.

"Kairi's right," Riku says, still sensing the tension. "We can't keep letting these lies get to us. I say we all head out and get some fresh air."

At the word 'lie', Xion's heart somewhat sinks. On the island, she may have been Alice, Riku's secret love interest, but outside of it, she had to remember that she was Xion and that he was mysterious playboy Riku. He was known for disappointing women, and she would be no exception–something she would have to come to terms with.

"I second that!" Sora agrees when Xion tunes back in to the present. "I say we all head out and explore the lush greenery of the island. Riku and I went through some tour guide training before you guys arrived and we haven't gotten a chance to actually use it."

"We _have_ been cooped up in the castle for a while," Roxas voices, his words directed towards both Naminé and Xion.

Pence immediately readies his camera. "A nature hike would be a great opportunity for my photography blog."

"And I suppose a change in scenery _would_ be nice," Naminé timidly suggests. Sora inwardly agrees, hoping that the sight of Kairi and Tidus together would disappear entirely during this activity.

"It's settled then," the brunet concludes while bumping a fist to his chest. "We're going on a hike!"

"Tidus, would you like to come with?" Kairi asks once everyone gets up to freshen themselves up for the day. Sora's ears perk upward at the question as he and Riku begin to gather the empty plates.

"A hike?" he questions, his eyes lingering onto Sora's hard expression then Selphie's fervent nodding behind the door of the lounge next door. "Sure, I'll tag along."

The 'dating couple' jumps back in surprise when they hear a dish crash onto the floor unexpectedly. Right by the mess, Sora looks at the two with shaking hands and a forced smile.

"Great," he says through gritted teeth.

* * *

Half an hour into their hike, Sora and Riku lead the group to a nearby cave in the middle of the island's tropical forest and take their places right at the entrance.

"Here we have one of the island's infamous hook bat caves," Riku informs while presenting the rocky cave to the half-interested group of teenagers. "Since they're nocturnal, we won't be seeing any right now, but they're awfully cute in appearance despite their ravenous reputation. Is there anything else you'd like to add before we move on, Sora?"

Beside him, the brunet noticeably seethes at the infuriating sight of Tidus and Kairi standing side-by-side in broad daylight.

"Yes, actually," Sora practically growls in Tidus' direction as he recalls some rather violent facts about the creatures in question. "Something you should know about these hook bats is that they capture their prey at night in complete darkness. Their diet consists mostly of pot scorpions, which they mercilessly grab by the head and bite off with their vicious–"

"Okay, that's enough!" Riku decides while placing a hand over his fellow Funtertainer's mouth who grumbles into his palm. "Say, let's go, um… check out that tree over there," Riku then suggests.

While the small group follows suit, Axel finds himself trailing behind with what appears to be an annoyed Larxene—well, more annoyed than usual, that is.

"Hey, what's the deal?" the pyromaniac asks when Larxene moves an oversized leaf out of the way and immediately releases it to smack Axel square in the face. "You're being awfully evasive today."

"It's nothing, Axel," Larxene insists as she trudges forward.

"Look, I may not be good with reading women outside of bed, but even I can tell that's a lie," Axel voices as he catches up to her angered strides with ease. "Now what's up? You can tell me."

"Talking about how we feel isn't part of our agreement, Axel," Larxene reminds.

"It is if it will potentially affect your performance," the pyromaniac teases. When Larxene scoffs in disbelief and storms away once again, Axel finds himself running towards her retreating figure yet again.

"Larxene, I was _kidding_!" the redhead insists. "Seriously, tell me what's wrong."

The blonde suddenly stops dead in her tracks and pokes Axel square in the chest.

"What's _wrong_? You want to know what's wrong, Axel?" she repeats. "What's wrong is that we made a mutual arrangement to explore our sexuality together in private, but now because of some stupid TV show, everyone's looking at me like I'm some sort of slut! Do you know what it's like going around the island and having people judge you so harshly because they think you're someone's mistress?"

After blinking twice in shock, Axel clears his throat and formulates his answer carefully.

"I… I do, actually," he answers. "N-not about the mistress part, but I understand how it feels to be judged incorrectly. You can't, however, seriously blame me for this. Do you think I wanted to be portrayed as a two-timing asshole?" When Larxene gives him a blank stare, the redhead slumps his shoulders. "Look, I know you think the answer might be yes given my reputation, but I do have a heart, you know—especially since the people involved are my little sister and my..." Axel gulps, choosing his words carefully. "Special friend."

When Larxene fails to respond, Axel continues to stand his ground.

"We can't control what people see online," he reasons. "We can, however, control how we deal with it, and I personally choose to ignore it."

"It's not that easy," Larxene says with clenched fists.

"Then what would you have me do?" Axel challenges. "Portray you as something differently to the public? Portray us as, say… a couple? Label us as boyfriend and girlfriend to shatter the illusion of a mistress?" he asks teasingly.

Larxene noticeably twitches at the 'G' word and immediately turns away at the mention of such a ridiculous idea. They were friends with sexual benefits, and that was all there was to it. Simple and easy, just as they'd agreed. Besides, having _Axel_ as a boyfriend? That had both disaster and impossible written all over it.

"Boyfriends are only good for two things," Larxene starts as she distances herself from Axel both physically and emotionally, "bug extermination and hoodies: both of which I'm capable of handling or attaining myself. I definitely don't need that."

"It was just a harmless suggestion," Axel says while throwing his hands into the pockets of his beige shorts.

"Yeah, well, it was a stupid one," Larxene retorts when they finally catch up to the group, and Axel throws his hands up in surrender, albeit with an entertained smirk. The moment, however, is short-lived.

No more than a second later, Xion (dressed as herself, for once) suddenly trips over a small rock, but before she can fully hit the ground, Roxas manages to catch her by the wrist. Before Axel himself can tend to her, he finds himself outrun by Riku, who immediately leaves Sora's side at the front and kneels before Xion to check her foot for any injuries. When Xion assures everyone that she's fine, Axel narrows his eyes in suspicion at the relieved look on Riku's face and the somewhat dazed expression on Xion's in particular when he leaves to take point with Sora.

 _Xion and Riku?_ he thinks. He immediately shakes his head at the ridiculous possibility. True, they both spent a lot of time in the castle, but there was no way it could add up. Much like himself, Riku liked to mess around, and there was no way he was letting that near his little sister. Not now, not ever.

Back with Tidus and Kairi, the former makes his move as they continue to trek through the forest with their tour guides only a few paces ahead.

"So.." the blond starts, "I know we agreed to keep things casual between us, so I hope this doesn't come across as weird, but… there's this charity blitzball tournament coming up. The Zanarkand Abes are participating for the entire event, and I was hoping that maybe you'd like to come?"

"That sounds exciting," Kairi voices while adjusting the straps of her small backpack. "I've never actually been to a live blitzball game, so I'm totally in."

"That's great to hear," he says. Then, sheepishly, "but asking you to come was just half of the request. I was wondering if you could, um, well… I'd be honoured if you wore my jersey to the match."

A few paces ahead, Sora steps on a twig, snapping it in half and twitching at the sound. _Wear his jersey?_ he thinks angrily. That was definitely _not_ a platonic thing to do—not in his books at least. Kairi, however, thinks otherwise and responds with a polite smile.

"I think that's something I can do," she chirps. While Tidus' shoulders relax at her answer, Sora's only tense even more.

"We're signing up for that tournament, aren't we?" Riku asks his best friend knowingly.

"Oh yeah," the seething brunet replies.

"Tidus Clearwater could very well be the best fielder in the league," Riku points out matter-of-factory. "How do you intend to beat him at his own game?"

"I don't intend on beating him," Sora clarifies. "I'm merely… making sure that Kairi sees her other options."

"And what will you do about the fact that we have no actual team?" Riku questions.

"Easy," Sora answers. "We have The Oathkeepers."

"I foresee a lot of problems with that," Roxas voices while chiming into the conversation. "One, we don't know a thing about blitzball."

"We can learn," Sora argues.

"Second, we have Battle of the Bands to focus our energy on," Roxas reminds. "Our second performance is coming up, and we both still need to practice if we want to crush that language challenge. We need to be on our A-game."

"Actually, this would be great publicity for The Oathkeepers," Axel mentions. "A tournament where all proceeds go to charity? That may just be what we need to boost our popularity, no matter how badly we suck."

Roxas taps his chin contemplatively. "Huh. I think you may be right, Axel."

While the pyromaniac haughtily pulls on the ends of his bandana, Naminé finds herself frowning at her boyfriend with a slight twinge of disappointment.

"If you're going to participate in that tournament, you should be doing it for a good cause, not for good publicity," Naminé voices. She squeaks when Roxas throws an arm over her petite shoulders.

"Of course, darling," he assures while quickly pecking her cheek. Axel mockingly gags at the gesture.

Sora, on the other hand, finds his cause to be the most noble and proceeds with gathering his forces. "All right, so are The Oathkeepers doing this thing or not?"

"The entry fee is two-thousand munny just to play," Riku announces while scrolling through the tournament requirements on his phone. "Where are we even going to get that kind of cash in such a short amount of time without using up anyone's complimentary stash?"

Amongst all the boys, Axel merely crosses his arms with a smirk.

* * *

"I can't believe you actually did it," Roxas voices as his eyes feast on the ludicrous sight before him.

In front of the Disney castle, Axel had somehow produced the miniature—although admittedly elaborate—bouncy castle replica that he pitched to Roxas and Xion some time ago, but what surprises Roxas even more is not just the ridiculous concept, but the fact that there's a huge lineup of teenagers eagerly waiting for their turn. Twenty occupants currently bounce around the castle, and Axel grins at the females in particular. Beside the two, Sora and Riku man the registration table, the latter of the two tasked with counting the munny.

"Axel," Riku calls. "We've hit two thousand."

"Aww yeah baby!" Axel cheers. "And we're not even done servicing this lineup yet! Talk about a great return on investment." He then eyes his doubtful best friend slyly. "Still think it's the stupidest business venture ever pitched?"

Roxas defiantly crosses his arms, albeit with an impressed smile. "Meh, it's all right."

The boys are suddenly caught off guard when the next batch is called over to make their payments.

" _Kairi_?" Sora greets incredulously as she pays with the rest of the girls in tow. "You're seriously going on this thing?"

"You're _not_?" she challenges right back.

"True that," Sora says as he immediately jumps from his seat and shamelessly joins her, leaving Hayner, who had been standing on the sidelines the entire time, to take his place.

"This is the dumbest thing I've ever seen," he remarks grumpily.

"You're telling me," Riku agrees.

"This is the best thing ever!" a familiar voice cheers from inside the castle. Hayner and Riku turn their heads only to find Olette shrieking front row and centre with 'Alice', both of which appear to be too distracted to care that their sundresses have been rising rather high and falling rather low during their jumps. Both boys turn red at the scene and clear their throats.

"Nevermind," Hayner says dreamily. "I take it back."

* * *

The following day, The Oathkeepers find themselves standing before a small stadia with pyrefly-infused water congealed into a sphere, constructed in a manner much like a real blitzball arena; the only difference, however, was that it was much smaller than the real deal given that they were just within the walls of the island's largest gym. Axel's bouncy castle venture not only made them enough munny to break even, but enough to pay the entire entry fee of the charity blitzball tournament and even a private lesson. While the boys (with the addition of Kairi and Olette, both of which wanted to participate in the lesson, and Pence, who wanted to take pictures) adjust their aquatic gear, they discuss the game's mechanics (more accurately, what they _thought_ the game mechanics were) while they wait for the arrival of the instructor.

"So is blitzball like… underwater soccer?" Roxas questions.

"I think it's more like underwater dodgeball," Sora suggests.

"With a mix of underwater quidditch," Roxas adds.

"I think it's underwater _everything_ ," Axel concludes, but before the boys can continue their bickering, their instructor (who certainly _isn't_ Tidus, much to Sora's relief) walks in with her hands clasped together.

"Good afternoon everyone," a perky voice greets. "I'll be your instructor today. My name is—"

"Rikku Hokkaido," Roxas finishes as he walks up to the pop star and confidently shakes her hand. Her iconic blonde hair, which has been fashioned into numerous nimble braids, is tied back into a neat ponytail for their upcoming activity, and her aquatic gear, which hugs her curvy figure in a very flattering manner, nearly gives Axel a nosebleed.

"It's such an honour to meet you," Roxas voices. She may not have had the same level of stardom that Yuna did, but he's well aware that she has a few hit singles up her sleeve.

"The honour is all mine," she insists. "Yunnie and I were talking, and we both agree that you're very gifted, Roxas Akiyama."

The lead singer of The Oathkeepers nearly falls over in shock at the news. "I'm sorry. Rikku Hokkaido knows my name and both she and Yuna Riel find me talented. Excuse me while I go die in peace because my life is pretty much complete now."

While Rikku chuckles at Roxas' overreaction, Axel makes his move.

"Well _hello_ ," he starts. "The name's Axel Kiryu. Get that name memorized because you'll be—"

"—declining because I have a boyfriend," Rikku immediately says, and everyone behind him snickers at the swift rejection. "All right. Is everyone ready to get this lesson started?"

While everyone nods enthusiastically (with the odd exception of Hayner), Axel hangs his head low in shame.

"Has anyone here ever played blitzball before?" Rikku then questions. The surrounding teenagers slowly shake their heads. "Well you're in for a real treat then! We'll go over the mechanics and roles first, then kicks and throws, but before we begin, always keep in mind tip number one: communication is key. However, because you'll be submerged the entire time, you can't exactly talk, so you'll have to rely on physical gestures when making a play. Everyone understand?" When everyone nods, Rikku begins to hand everyone a waterproof earpiece. "I'll be communicating with you from the outside through these. Once you've secured it around your ear, feel free to head into the water and see how it feels."

While everyone excitedly secures their earpieces and jumps into the pyrefly-infused water, Hayner decides to hang back on dry land with Pence. Sora, who pleasantly realizes just how quickly and easily he can move in the special water, begins to do a submerged floss dance and is joined by an equally amused Kairi who begins to do somersaults beside him. Riku, on the other hand, keeps his arms crossed at their silly antics, albeit with an entertained grin. Surrounded by his opposing element, Axel surprisingly stiffens, but Roxas is quick to place a reassuring hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Everyone having fun?" Rikku says into her headset. Everyone inside the stadia gives her a thumbs up gesture. An hour passes, and after going through the game's mechanics and roles, crucial gestures during plays, and a few kicking techniques, Rikku decides that it's time for a quick break and lets the team out of the water before moving onto throws in the second half of their private lesson.

"Hey Hayner," Kairi greets when she takes a seat next to the rather lonely gamer on the bleachers who appears to be engrossed in his portable console. "I notice you haven't joined our lesson yet. Something up?"

"Nope," he answers, his eyes still fixated on the little screen. "I'm just not interested in learning how to play."

Kairi's eyes soften, knowing that it was a lie. She'd caught him stealing interested glances at their lesson every now and then during the first half, and she was almost certain that she knew exactly why he was denying it.

"I'm sorry if I'm coming across as blunt about this," she starts softly, "but is it because you don't know how to swim, Hayner?"

She catches his fingers twitch ever so slightly at the accusation. When she knows she's got him beat, she gently lowers his console and places it on his lap, but he only turns away in embarrassment at the gesture.

"Hey, you don't need to be ashamed about it," Kairi assures. "Plenty of people don't know how to swim."

"I've just never seen the need nor had the opportunity," the gamer mumbles.

"Both of which you have now," Kairi reminds optimistically. She gets up from her seat and kneels before him, her head cocked slightly to the side, and graces him with a kind smile. "I can give you some pointers, if you'd like. We islanders are pretty good teachers."

When Hayner only looks at the stadia with uncertainty, Kairi lightly taps his hand.

"Think of it as a skill," she suggests, knowing how she'd get him to participate. "One that you need to level up for your next mission."

The ends of Hayner's lips twitch upward into an amused grin at Kairi's attempt to word the situation like a video game. Defeated, he places his portable console down and slowly gets up.

"But the instant I feel uncomfortable, I'm out," he warns lightheartedly.

"Of course," Kairi says with an understanding nod, and she happily guides him down the steps of the bleachers.

From afar, Sora watches the scene with endearment. He knew that Kairi was always willing to lend a helping hand, and today was no exception. No more than five minutes later, Hayner finally gets comfortable with submerging his entire body inside the water, and Pence begins to snap pictures of the momentous occasion while Olette watches his efforts with a proud smile.

* * *

The following day, the official Blitzball stadium, located in the heart of the downtown area, is packed with cheering teenagers awaiting the start of the beloved sport with sugary drinks, over-fried food, and foam fingers in hand. In the chambers of the Zanarkand Abes in particular, Tidus hears someone knock on his door just as he finishes putting on the last of his gear.

"Selphie," he greets. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need you to do something for me today," she immediately says while walking into his designated change room and plopping down on his couch, her shadow ominously filling his room.

"Of course you do," he says knowingly while shutting the door behind him.

"I need you to kiss Kairi," Selphie instructs nonchalantly.

Tidus blinks twice at the request. "That wasn't something that we discussed. I thought I was just supposed to go on a date with her and have her wear my jersey today. Besides, Kairi and I agreed that we'd just keep things casual."

"That's no fun," Selphie comments with a frown. "Listen, I've already spoken to Wakka, and we're setting up a kiss cam for you during the break of your game against The Oathkeepers, so I'm expecting you to deliver, Tidus."

The star player of the Zanarkand Abes suddenly finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. If he were to follow through, not only would he hurt Yuna, but Kairi and Sora as well, and he never intended for things to go further than what was initially discussed.

"What if I don't?" he decides to ask. Slightly taken aback by his sudden defiance, Selphie sends him a sly glance.

"Then I'll have Yuna convinced that your breakup wasn't just a stunt," she threatens, "and she, alongside the entire island, will think that you really have grown apart."

"Yuna and I love each other," Tidus argues with confidence. "She'll know you're lying."

Selphie only gets up from her seat and makes her way to the door.

"This industry can be very deceiving, Tidus," she says in a singsong voice, her hand hovering over the handle. "And I can be very convincing. Don't you forget that."

* * *

At the bottom of the stadium, which had yet to be filled with water for the purposes of Yuna Riel's opening performance, The Oathkeepers, alongside some other members of the Disney Castle, eagerly wait for the program to start, much like the other participating teams scattered around the area.

"Man, I could get used to this," Axel says when he catches a few girls on the bleachers waving in his direction, but he finds himself proven wrong when they verbalize that they're hollering at Roxas for his autograph. The lead singer of The Oathkeepers merely shrugs at his best friend apologetically before tending to the needs of their growing fanbase, leaving behind a slightly nervous Naminé after a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry Nams," Olette says as she places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're here if you need us."

Naminé nods graciously at the presence of Kairi, Olette, and Alice by her side and accepts the fact that Roxas would have to leave her from time to time. He was well on his way to stardom, and that meant interacting with his fanbase on a consistent basis. This would soon be something that she would have to get used to.

"Hey, there she is!" a familiar voice hollers at Kairi in particular. The redhead turns around to find Tidus heading towards her dressed in his blitzball uniform and a pleased smile on his face. "Wow, look at you. Jerseys are a good look on you."

Kairi thanks him and playfully twirls around, showing off the name _Clearwater_ sewn across her back. Behind her, Sora nearly deflates the blitzball he has in hand at the scene.

"You know, I really didn't think I could rock it, but it's not bad," Kairi confesses.

"No," Tidus agrees. "It's not bad at all."

The two are quick to eat their words when Yuna Riel passes by them on her way to the stage that would soon elevate her for the opening performance.

"Y-Yuna," Tidus greets awkwardly. "Hey. You remember Kairi, right?"

"I do," Yuna answers, her eyes hard but not menacing, and the redhead nearly falls over in shock at both her presence and demeanor. She was so used to being graced with a friendly smile from the popstar in the past, but given the circumstances, she could see why she would be somewhat upset.

"H-Hi Yuna," Kairi stammers. Despite the awkward situation, she recalls that her diplomatic father always taught her to be polite, so with a deep intake of breath, Kairi asserts her apology. "Look, I'm sorry if encountering me has become awkward, especially given what's… happened. It really wasn't my intention to make you uncomfortable, and I'd really hate for there to be any bad blood between us."

Yuna lightly shakes her head. "There's no need to apologize, Kairi. I'm not upset."

"You… You're not?" Kairi squeaks.

"No," Yuna confirms sadly, knowing that the redhead was but a pawn on Selphie's chessboard. Her gaze then shifts onto Tidus, and it immediately grows cold and suspicious, catching the star player off guard. "Good luck out there," she says curtly before leaving the two to prepare for her performance, her backup dancers in tow. As he watches her retreating figure, Tidus can't help but feel his heart tighten in his chest at the look she'd given him—that is, until he notices Selphie looking at him from afar. He narrows his eyes at what was likely her doing, but she merely blows him a kiss in response as a reminder.

The lights suddenly dim, and everyone in the stadium begins to chatter amongst themselves excitedly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," booms the voice of the announcer, "give it up for Yuna Riel!"

Colourful lights suddenly consume the arena, and everyone cheers as their favourite popstar rises and performs magnificently, as per usual. From below, the participating teams watch attentively and bob their head to the beat of the upbeat song, but Kairi can't help but notice Tidus watching his ex-girlfriend intently with pure admiration in his eyes. The scene doesn't exactly hurt her, but it certainly doesn't rub her the right way either. She can, however, understand why he's unable to tear his eyes away: with someone talented beyond measure like Yuna Riel, it was hard not to stare.

"Hey," she says when the performance reaches its end. Tidus, who looks as if he'd _just_ snapped out of a daze, gives Kairi his full attention with what appears to be an embarrassed look.

"Good luck out there," she says sweetly. She finds herself at a loss for words when Tidus suddenly pulls her into a friendly hug.

"Thanks," he whispers, and just like that, he's off. Excited screams sound from the audience when the centre of the stadium fills itself with pyrefly-infused water, and once the element is successfully congealed into a sphere, the Zanarkand Abes position themselves on their platforms, ready to face the first team of the tournament. Three games, multiple sphere shots from Tidus Clearwater and three foreseen victories for the Zanarkand Abes later, it is The Oathkeepers' turn to face their wrath, and the team members step onto their platforms.

"Behave in there," Kairi warns Sora jokingly.

"I'll try," the brunet says with a wink before diving into the pool of water.

The first half of their game passes quickly, but The Oathkeepers manage to put on a bit of a fight. With Hayner as the goalkeeper, Axel and Roxas as defenders, and Sora and Riku (the fastest swimmers of the five) as the fielders, they manage to score two goals in the first five minutes with the Zanarkand Abes leading at five points. At the end of the first half, the bell sounds for the players to get out of the water, and the teams disperse for a quick break.

When Tidus reunites with Kairi who kindly hands him a towel, his heart drops when the spotlights turn red and pink and the screens across the stadium read the words 'kiss cam'. He gulps and recalls Selphie's words, knowing that he'd have to deliver for the sake of his relationship with Yuna.

The cameras zoom in on Roxas and Naminé first, and the crowd applauds and whistles when the lead singer of The Oathkeepers leans down and plants a chaste kiss on her lips, and the latter blushes madly at the intimate gesture. Three couples in the crowd pass and satisfy the game's requirements, but when the cameras land on Riku and 'Alice', the two look at the screen with widened eyes before refusing the request with animated head shakes and waving hands. A few _boo's_ are heard from the crowd, but they're quickly silenced. When the cameras land on a very confused Sora and Hayner, the audience erupts with laughter when the former gags and the latter runs away from the camera's view entirely; however, the stadium goes completely silent when the cameras land on the newest couple: Tidus Clearwater and Kairi Hart.

The redhead looks up at the screen with lips parted in disbelief, and she turns to look at Tidus who appears to be rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and with uncertainty. To his left, he can _feel_ Yuna and Sora's hardened gazes from afar, to his right, he can see Selphie watching over him intently, and in the center, Kairi stands before him, confused as ever. They'd agreed to keep things casual only days ago, and yet here they were: forced into a position that could potentially make their agreement far more complicated than it should've been. Around them, surrounding teens chant _kiss, kiss, kiss!_ but Tidus recalls Yuna's retreating figure and shakes his head. Selphie hadn't specified exactly what _kind_ of kiss she expected from him, so he plays it safe and walks up to Kairi with slow strides.

He gently seizes her by the shoulders, leans down…

… and plants a friendly kiss on her cheek.

Applause fills the stadium, but when the cameras zoom in on Kairi's flustered expression and Tidus shyly waving at the crowd, Riku feels Sora's blood begin to boil beside him. The bell sounds again, the game resumes, but no more than two minutes into the second half, Sora kicks the ball so hard that he knocks Tidus right out of the arena. Everyone (particularly Kairi) gasps when the star player of the Zanarkand Abes nearly has the wind knocked out of him when he lands on his back on the bleachers. Within seconds, Kairi and the referee is by his side, but Tidus assures them that he's fine, all the while frowning at a—now—guilty looking Sora in the arena.

The officials review the play, and Sora is charged with a flagrant foul, immediately being disqualified from the tournament.

* * *

Later that evening, sometime after dinner, Kairi finds herself sauntering into the kitchen, ignoring the strange looks that she receives from the staff. She didn't catch Sora during dinner, and she was pretty sure she had an inkling as to why that was. She whistles to herself when she reaches her destination, and when no one appears to be in sight, Kairi reaches for the handle of the freezer—only to have someone open it from the inside. Riku surprisingly walks out, but that only confirms Kairi's suspicions.

"He's in there, isn't he?" she asks.

"Yeah," Riku sighs, "and he's pretty upset. Whether it's because of you and Tidus or because he feels guilty about what he did, I can't tell you, but he needs a pretty big nudge to get out of this slump. Are you up to the task?"

Kairi only places her hands on her hips with determination. "Well I'm here, aren't I?"

"Well then good luck," Riku wishes while throwing his hands into his pockets. "Apparently handing him a bigass spoon wasn't good enough."

"Just promise me that you won't lock us in here like last time?" Kairi teases.

Riku chuckles and retrieves his master key card from his pocket. "I will personally see to it that you can get out."

"Thank you," Kairi sings while accepting the card and pocketing it into her skirt.

After a deep intake of breath, she pulls open the door and finds Sora inside, sitting on the floor with his legs sprawled out and a giant tub of sea-salt ice cream in front of him, much like how he found her the day the first episode of Teenage Wasteland was released. In his right hand, he holds what Riku had described as a "bigass spoon", and he wasn't wrong. Kairi almost laughs but actively has to cover her mouth at the sight of Sora scooping a handful of ice cream with a ladle. He wasn't one to get upset much, but when he did, he tended to be a little over dramatic about things.

"So…" Kairi starts while plopping down next to him. "You do realize that I could've bought you a perfectly good sea-salt ice cream bar since you and Riku won the cake baking competition during my birthday, right?"

The corner of Sora's lips only twitch slightly at the memory, but the rest of his body remains limp.

"You're probably right," he says weakly, "but I figured you wouldn't want to see me, let alone buy me ice cream, after what I did earlier today."

"Yeah, what was up with that?" Kairi asks while relaxing into him and nudging him slightly.

"Remember when I told you I'd try to be supportive?" Sora questions. He feels Kairi nod next to him. "Yeah… it's proving to be a lot harder than I thought."

"Yeah, I can see that," Kairi says empathetically while resting her head on his shoulder. She feels Sora tense at the gesture, but after a few moments, he reacquaints himself with the feeling of having her close.

Kairi, on the other hand, bites her bottom lip in thought. She'd be lying if she said she didn't notice how miserable he'd been throughout the past few days, and to know that it was partially her doing made her heart ache. She asked him to try and be supportive, and he tried, _really_ tried for her, but it felt somewhat one-sided when he was doing all the hard work while she was out frolicking with some other guy. Kairi's heart clenches at the thought. Despite being her ex-boyfriend, Sora was her best friend, and he meant the absolute world to her, so when he ached, she ached, and she had to let him know. She had to let him know that she still cared, no matter what they were. Neglected was the last thing she wanted him to feel.

"Sora…" she starts softly. "You know I love you, right?"

The redhead withholds a light chuckle when Sora turns to look at her, bewildered by her words.

"Oh don't give me that look," she says while rolling her eyes. "Just because we're not dating doesn't mean I don't love you. I've always loved who you are: optimistic, fun-loving, childish at times, but always full of wonder and incredibly kind-hearted… you're my ray of sunshine—my best friend, Sora."

"I certainly hope I'm wrong in assuming that there's a but coming soon," he says sheepishly.

" _But_ ," Kairi continues, earning a groan from her companion, "who you were today… didn't exhibit that." When Sora hangs his head low in shame, Kairi snuggles into him further to reassure him that she's still there despite his behaviour. "But it's partially my doing," she admits, "I should've known this wasn't going to be easy, but I was selfish and left you to do it on your own anyway."

"It's not your fault, Kairi," Sora argues. "I just let my jealousy get the best of me. You of all people know how sensitive I get towards things, so I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kairi says. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… I don't want you to change who you are just because I'm with someone else. It hurts me to see you this way, so please let me help you come back. Do you remember what I always used to tell you on the pier when we were kids?"

" _Don't ever change_ ," Sora recalls a younger Kairi telling him.

Sora then leans back against the cool rails of the freezer shelves and reflects on his behaviour over the last few days. Now that he thought about it, he left nothing but disaster in his wake. He must have broken countless dishes, scowled so much that he was probably going to wrinkle early, and nearly injured one of the galaxy's best athletes in his rage. Sora sighs and shakes his head.

He'd turned into a monster and he didn't even know it.

"If it helps, I'll try to tone it down with Tidus," Kairi suggests. "I know we said we'd keep things casual, but I think we need to work on that."

"That would be much appreciated," Sora admits.

"And I should probably make more time for you and Riku," Kairi says. "It's summer vacation, and we've got nothing but time."

Sora nods in agreement. "I'd also like that."

Then, after tapping her chin in thought, Kairi makes her final suggestion. "And maybe I should try setting you up on some dates of your own."

Sora immediately looks at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Okay, you were on a roll there, but that last one sounds like a horrible idea."

She nudges him playfully at his reaction. "You're the lead guitarist of The Oathkeepers, Sora. With your growing popularity, you can probably get whoever you want."

Sora shakes his head and laughs to himself, recalling that Axel had said something along those lines during their very first band practice of the summer.

"Maybe," he agrees half-heartedly, but he gives her the same response that he gave Axel weeks ago. "But not the one that matters."

Kairi lightly shoves herself off of him, stands up, and dusts off her skirt with a playful grin gracing her lips. "Okay, now you're just being lame."

"I'm serious," Sora argues, his brows furrowing into a slight frown. Kairi only places the lid on top of his ice cream tub and takes the ladle from his hand.

"Say, why don't we focus on getting you out of here first so that you don't freeze to death?" she suggests while putting the tub away and offering Sora her hand. The brunet smiles at the gesture and gladly accepts it, the feeling of her hand in his warming his entire body within seconds.

"All right, now what?" he asks.

"Now we set up Dance Party in the den," Kairi demands, "because we've had way too many interactions over food during the last few days alone. Sound good?"

He squeezes her hand in response, and it's only then that Kairi realizes that they're still intertwined.

"Sounds great," Sora responds before she releases her grip from his.

"Let's get to it then," Kairi says while turning her heel with the slightest blush on her cheeks. Three steps in, she turns around to Sora softly calling her name.

"Hey, Kairi," he calls while throwing his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "You know I love you too, right?"

Kairi freezes at the words, but her smile immediately warms at the familiar words.

"I know," she decides to say before skipping out of the kitchen, and Sora follows suit, smiling to himself like an idiot. For the first time that summer, she didn't deny his affections, but rather accepted them as part of who he was, and that, in itself, was progress.

Supportive Sora? Fuck Shit Up Sora? Sora shakes his head at the personas. It seemed that being Sora, Just Sora, was always enough.

**tbc**


	13. down the rabbit hole

Background Information (NEW):

TERMINOLOGY:

**Kingdom Karts** : a go-kart style racing video game featuring Disney characters as the playable drivers. Courses within the game include power ups and hazards that are obtained by driving through boxes and are selected at random.

 **Super Kingdom Karts:** a real life race track on Kingdom Hearts Island Resort based off of the famous video game, although played in teams of two (one driver and one attacker) per vehicle. While the track itself remains physically intact, courses are changed virtually.

 **Manadrive Glove:** a gloved weapon used by the military to grant the wielder offensive, elemental, and curative magic.

 **Disclaimer:** The author does not own Disney's _Coco, Wreck-it-Ralph, Toy Story,_ or _Big Hero 6._ And while I'm at it, I don't own the concept for _Mario Kart_ either, because let's be real, we all know how 'Kingdom Karts' was inspired.

On a lighter note, we've exceeded 8,200 hits and just reached over 70 faves and 100 alerts! Yay!

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XIII | down the rabbit hole

* * *

Two days later, in the middle of breakfast, the residents of the Disney Castle find themselves enjoying their meal while watching reruns of last night's Battle of the Bands competition.

For the language challenge, Roxas had performed Coco's _La Llorona_ : a song inspired by the Mexican folklore of a weeping woman trapped between the living and spirit world for the loss of her children. Roxas' hauntingly beautiful voice, with pronunciation perfected by Olette, was accompanied by Sora's skillful guitar playing and had everyone on their feet by the end of the performance. Seifer's band, Furaifer, had been disqualified that night, and everyone at the table shudders at the memory. If they were to encounter Seifer and his cronies again, they would likely be more irritable than usual.

On a lighter note, when Sora approaches Tidus for the first time that morning, he does so with a platter of freshly baked cookies in hand.

"Hey Tidus," he greets carefully. "I'm sorry about what happened at the blitzball tournament. I let my jealousy get the best of me and I ended up taking my anger out on you, so if it's alright with you, I've decided to make you a peace offering."

Sora then presents the platter of cookies to the teen celebrity who narrows his eyes at him at first, but once the delicious aroma reaches his nostrils, he slowly accepts it with a thankful half-smile.

"Thank you, Sora," he says with a nod of acknowledgement, and Kairi watches the exchange with an appreciative grin.

"So," Tidus starts while stretching his arms and casually throwing one over Kairi's shoulders. The ends of Sora's lips twitch at the gesture but he manages to keep his disapproval to himself. "Kairi, how would you like to join me for mini golf today?"

For a brief moment, Kairi locks eyes with Sora, and she turns back to Tidus with her lips pursed together.

"I'd love to, Tidus," she answers, causing Sora's heart to sink, "but I'll kindly have to decline. If you don't mind, I need to make some time for my besties."

While Tidus nods in understanding before taking his leave, Sora beams at the sudden turn of events.

"So," Kairi says after bidding Tidus farewell and returning to the dining room. "Who wants to play some Kingdom Karts in the den?"

Riku and Sora both share a look before gracing Kairi with a nod. The redhead then throws her arms around both boys' shoulders and brings them down to level with her in a manner much like she used to when she greeted them both on her doorstep back home, and Riku can't help but think that a few weeks ago, Kairi had rejected such proximity. Now, for the first time that summer, the he was happy to know that Destiny Islands trio was officially back.

* * *

The den, themed much like every inch of the castle, paid tribute to the futuristic interior of the Federation ship in Deep Space with its bright and sleek design. Sora, Riku, and Kairi, all of which have controllers in hand and sit on the spaceship-shaped couch, glue their eyes onto a large projector screen that currently displays their game of Kingdom Karts.

"Yes, blue orb!" Sora, who happens to be playing as Baby Hercules, cheers when he receives what he considers one of the best items in the game. He immediately throws the orb and it hunts down Riku's character, Steamboat Mickey, who happens to be in first place until the blue orb slams down on his go kart and stalls him for a good few seconds. Kairi, otherwise known as Rapunzel in-game, passes Riku with a laugh. Through strategic drifting, Riku soon catches up to her, but the instant he gets close she immediately throws a red orb in his direction, flipping his kart over, and Kairi passes through the finish line in first place.

"Woo, first place again!" the redhead hurrahs.

"Good job, Kairi!" Sora compliments while managing to pass the finish line in fifth place. "You beat Riku again! Looks like someone's about to be dethroned."

At the mention of his name, the silver-haired teen crosses his arms with a slight frown.

"Okay, I hardly consider this fair when you're both ganging up on me," he says.

"We were not ganging up on you," Sora insists. "You just happened to have the misfortune of having all our items thrown at you."

While Kairi giggles at Sora's attempts to make the situation sound better than it actually was, the door slide opens, and Hayner, Pence and Olette enter the den with excited smiles.

"Hey guys!" Olette greets with verve.

"Sorry to interrupt your little threesome, but we've got some exciting news for you," Hayner says. While the gamer and Olette take their seats on the couch, Pence connects his tablet for viewing on the projector.

"Look what just opened!" Olette announces when the webpage loads onto the screen. At the words _Super Kingdom Karts_ , Sora immediately springs up from his spot on the couch, uncomfortably knocking Riku and Kairi aside.

"Whoa," he breathes, mesmerized by the contents of the webpage.

"Real life Kingdom Karts," Pence presents with a flourish. "Physical indoor race track, but virtually changeable courses."

"Are you guys up to the challenge?" Hayner asks with raised eyebrows.

The Destiny Islands trio only smirks in response.

* * *

As the Super Kingdom Karts track had only been open for the entirety of two hours, the members of the Disney Castle still find themselves waiting in the fast lane despite the use of their fast passes, but the track itself is so magnificently built that they don't mind the wait. The elaborate track, built over four storeys high, was littered with sharp turns, steep drops, dark tunnels, speed ramps, and numerous obstacles to dodge and weave around, but the appearance of said obstacles varied depending on the course theme selected by the racers at the start of the race. The jaws of the Disney Castle members drop in awe as they watch the current racers speed through a Halloween Town-themed track.

Axel's jaw, however, drops in sheer terror—not for his sake, but for the sake of Xion standing next to him who watches the activity with great interest and wild eyes. He'd told her out of impulse that she could tag along as she'd been cooped up in the castle for far too long (or so he thinks), but now that he physically sees the track, feels the ground rumble due to the inhuman speeds, and holds the digital waiver presented to him on a tablet, he decides that letting her participate wasn't such a good idea after all and voices this opinion.

"What?" Xion screeches in disbelief. "Axel, please don't make me go back. We're already here!"

Axel stands his ground despite her desperate pleas. "I'm sorry Xi, but have you seen the amount of hazards on this thing?" He then presents the tablet to her and all the possible risks that she could be exposed to on the track. "There's no way I'm letting you do this. It's way too risky."

While Xion noticeably frowns at him, she turns to her other bestie with hopeful eyes.

"Roxas?" she asks, but he only sends her a guilty look.

"I'm sorry, Xi," he apologizes sheepishly, "but I agree with Axel on this one. I just don't want you to be in danger."

When Xion pouts in defeat, Roxas places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, we'll be right back," he assures. "Naminé and Pence are also in the spectator's box. We'll join you right when we're done."

With a huff, Xion starts to leave the lineup, but when she thinks that Roxas and Axel have let down their defences, she turns her heel and makes a beeline to the front of the lineup, but Axel sees it coming and easily blocks her path with his lanky arm. With shoulders slumped in defeat, Xion turns back around and marches toward the end of the lineup, but just as she passes Sora and Kairi (both of which appear to be engrossed in an intense game of red hands), she feels Riku lightly nudge her shoulder. He wordlessly hands her his backpack, and she unzips the top with a raised eyebrow.

Inside, she sees a familiar blue wig, a change of clothes, and her makeup bag. When she lifts her head up to look at him gratefully, he only winks in response before dismissing her to go change.

When the members of the Disney Castle are called forward to form their teams and select their weapons and vehicles, Sora and Kairi, who had paired up by unspoken agreement, find themselves arguing over what appears to be a very big issue at hand in front of a Tron-like motorcycle.

"No, _I'm_ driving," Kairi insists.

Sora defiantly crosses his arms in response. "Okay, let's settle this fair and square. Who got their license first?"

"Only because you're a whole month and a half older!" Kairi argues with flailing arms. "I think the real question should be who got their license the fastest?"

While Kairi smirks triumphantly, Sora turns red with embarrassment at the memory of failing his first driving test because of a "misplaced traffic cone".

"Besides, you'd make a better attacker," Kairi further reasons. "I haven't had any keyblade training in nearly a year."

"It's the _Kingdom Key,_ " Sora says while showing off the plain keybangle they had picked up from the weapon selection room. "You know, the keyblade for beginners? You don't even need years of training to use this thing."

"Okay, I think it's time we bring in the mediator," Kairi decides. "Riku!"

Within seconds, the third pea in their pod shows up already rubbing his temples in annoyance.

"What now?" he asks tiredly.

"We're trying to decide who's going to drive this thing," Sora explains while presenting their sweet ride.

"This?" Riku asks while eyeing the motorcycle. Sora and Kairi wait in anticipation while Riku mulls over his decision. "Sora," he ultimately decides, and the brunet sticks his tongue out victoriously (and childishly) while Kairi's looks absolutely betrayed.

"What? Why?" she whines.

"Because Sora drives a scooter back home," Riku reasons, "and you drive a car. I think he'll have slightly better handling than you in this case, and since you've been off at boarding school, I'm sure he's had more driving practice than you, too."

"Ugh, fine," Kairi agrees while summoning the Kingdom Key and boarding the back of the motorcycle.

"Hey," Sora then calls, "if I'm partnered up with Kairi, who will you be with?"

Riku scans the area, noting that among the other competitors (Seifer and Raijin inclusive, unfortunately), Hayner and Olette had paired up on a jeep-like kart, and Roxas and Axel had teamed up on a quad bike. Riku himself stands beside an aerodynamic two-seater go-kart, but his teammate in nowhere in sight.

"I'm waiting for someone," Riku says simply, and she arrives just as he says the words. Alice, looking as lovely as ever with his backpack on her shoulders, strolls onto the track with an excited smile.

"Hey," she greets while handing him what's rightfully his.

"Hey," he returns with a grin.

" _Oh_ , okay," Sora says slyly. Riku nearly facepalms himself at his best friend's expression. "I'll leave you two to it then. Nice to see you, Alice, and good luck."

"Thanks. You too, Sora," she says before he runs off in Kairi's direction. Xion then turns to Riku with her arms laced behind her back. "So I didn't exactly know if you wanted me to drive or attack, but I figured that you should drive since you actually have your license."

"I suppose you'll be attacking, then?" Riku asks with his arms crossed, though amused. "And what exactly will you be using?"

Riku noticeably stiffens when Xion presents an all too familiar keybangle to him with a Mickey Mouse-shaped charm attached.

"Fun fact," Xion starts, "I actually trained in the Keyblade Arts for a bit. I only got up to silver belt, though. Nothing too serious. Ever tried it?"

Riku gulps at the question. "You could say I'm… quite familiar with it."

"Oh?" Xion questions while holding up the keybangle. "Do you want to give it a go, then?"

Riku backs away slightly. "Um, I'm good. I don't practice—not anymore, at least."

Xion takes note of his somewhat evasive behaviour and doesn't press the matter any further. Just as she enters the passenger side of the kart, their instructor (a well-toned teen with spiky black hair and alluring light blue eyes) decides to make his appearance.

"Good afternoon everyone," a perky voice greets. "The name's Zack Fair, and I'll be your Super Kingdom Karts instructor for today. Is everyone here familiar with the video game?"

While everyone on the track nods, Zack claps his hands together in pleasant surprise, and behind him, a large hologram screen accompanies the remainder of his brief presentation. "Perfect. As you all know, Kingdom Karts has power ups and hazards obtained by breaking boxes and collecting orbs of differing colours, all selected at random. This track is no different. Much like the game, yellow orbs temporarily slow your opponents, red stops them momentarily, blue stops the kart in first place, green grants you temporary immunity, and purple grants you a temporary speed boost. Drifting will also result in a temporary speed boost, but the longer your drift, the longer the duration of your speed boost. Everyone following so far?"

More nods follow suit. "Excellent," Zack says, moving his presentation along. "Now, as you've all probably figured out, your team is separated into two roles: one driver, and one attacker. While the role of the driver is pretty self-explanatory, the attacker's job is not only to break the boxes on the track, but to also use the power ups and hazards strategically for victory. The maximum capacity of orbs that can be held at one time is two. Attackers cannot, and I repeat _cannot_ , use their weapons to harm other racers, otherwise facing disqualification. Now, you'll all be racing through three different maps selected after this presentation, and each map will have three laps each. The team with the highest ranking through all maps combined will win the entire race."

Excited murmurs fill the track just as Zack brings his spiel to an end. "And lastly, helmets must be worn at all times. Now, is everyone ready to race?"

When the racers on the track and the spectators lined up on the sides let out excited cheers, Zack salutes playfully and takes his leave to set up the race. After putting on their helmets, the racers jump back in surprise when the ground beneath them transforms into a screen highlighting all the available course themes. After casting their votes by stepping on their preferred maps, the top three are selected, the first being Wreck-It-Ralph's _Sugar Rush_. All at once, the once plain track transforms into a colourful candyland made of all sorts of sweets, pastries, candies, and chocolate. Mesmerized, Sora outstretches his hand as a virtual donut skips past him, and Kairi giggles when he nearly falls over in shock as the treat glitches and goes right through his hand.

"Okay, it's official," the brunet decides. "This is the coolest thing I've ever done."

"Racers, start your engines!" Zack announces through the speakers, and the sound of revving engines follows suit.

"Got your seatbelt on?" Olette asks as she adjusts her rearview mirror. Beside her, Hayner only nods dramatically while loading his BB gun.

"Ready?" Riku asks his companion. Xion gladly clicks her helmet into place in response.

Back with Sora and Kairi, the former asks if the latter is holding on tight, and the latter complies with rolled eyes, albeit with a smile. Behind them, Roxas turns around and looks at Axel slyly at the display of affection in front of them.

"Don't look at me," Axel says while spinning a chakram in one hand. "I ain't huggin' you."

In the place of Zack's hologram presentation, a countdown starts, and to their left, a giant screen reflects everyone's current standing. At the last five seconds, Sora lowers the shield on his helmet and nearly squeaks when he feels Kairi's grip tighten on his waist. He looks back at her and grins reassuringly, and Kairi finds herself thankful that the shield also concealed her heated cheeks. The countdown finally expires, and all the racers soon find themselves speeding through the track at outstanding speeds.

After dodging a few oversized rolling gumballs, Roxas and Axel are the first to reach a row of boxes, and the latter immediately throws both of his chakrams to retrieve two orbs, both yellow in colour. Just as Roxas drives them through a speed ramp, Axel turns around and throws an orb at another team, effectively slowing their kart for a few seconds. He aims the second orb at Hayner and Olette, but the gamer shoots open a box and retrieves a green orb, granting them immunity just before Axel's orb can take effect.

Back with Riku and Sora, both teams find themselves drifting around the edge of what appears to be a black forest cake at the same time. When Riku manages to take the inner corner and gain the highest possible speed boost, he salutes his best friends farewell and speeds off into a tunnel leading into a candy corn mountain. He drives straight into a box that Xion breaks with a fire spell, and she immediately throws a red orb in Sora's direction, but he manages to swerve and dodge it right on time, causing it to hit Seifer and Raijin behind them instead.

With a blizzard spell at the ready, Kairi shoots at an upcoming box and manages to get her hands on a purple orb. She and Sora share a knowing smirk, and with a mutual nod, Kairi slams the orb onto their motorcycle and shrieks in joy when they begin to move twice as fast and catch back up to Riku and 'Alice' within seconds.

After strategically weaving through a series of chocolate truffles in the third lap, Hayner and Olette manage to cross the finish line first, high-fiving and teasing Roxas and Axel who roll up next to them in second place with disapproving head shakes and crossed arms. When the last of the racers cross the finish line, the track's appearance immediately begins to change, soon resembling Andy's Room from _Toy Story_. The candy mountains begin to fade, and in its place, oversized toys emerge on what appears to be an elaborate plastic racetrack. The countdown begins again, and Sora and Kairi determinedly take the lead within the first half of the first lap.

After drifting around Slinky Dog's back, Axel breaks another box with his chakrams and obtains a red orb. Seeing that Hayner and Olette were only a few seconds ahead, Roxas speeds up and tries to give Axel a steady shot.

"Your ass is mine CuTiePie!" the redhead taunts, but just before he can toss the orb, Riku and Alice whiz past them with a yellow orb in hand. The latter ricochets the orb off a wooden block, and it hits Roxas and Axel's quad bike right in the front. "Seriously?" Axel yells when their kart slows down.

"Nice throw," Riku compliments while shifting gears and drifting around another sharp turn. He unknowingly grins to himself at the sight of Xion chuckling beside him in thanks. She destroys another box with an aero spell, and with another yellow orb in hand, Xion tries to aim it at Olette and Hayner, but she loses her grip mid-drift and the orb slips from her hands, hitting Seifer and Raijin behind them instead, causing the two to growl in frustration yet again.

"I mean hey, that works too," Riku says reassuringly as they speed off into toy soldier territory.

By the third lap, Sora and Kairi manage to retain their lead, but just as they're about to taste victory, a blue orb (thrown by Hayner and Olette a few cars back) heads straight for them and stops their kart just in front of the finish line. Their friends zip past them with very audible laughter, Roxas and Axel in first and Hayner and Olette in second, but Riku and Xion, who come in third, seem to laugh the hardest.

"Oh," Riku says while wiping a tear from one of his eyes. "This is rich. _That_ is what you two get for ganging up on me earlier."

"We were not ganging up on you!" the two argue in unison as they cross the line in fourth place.

When the remainder of the racers arrive, the track transforms into the final course: the city of San Fransokyo. The atmosphere darkens, giving off the appearance of nighttime—that is, until the racers find themselves overwhelmed by bright neon lights, edgy architecture, and grungy alleyways. At the end of the final countdown, the racers zip through the intricate course, dodging vehicles and urban debris alike.

On the third and final lap, Sora drives through a speed ramp, granting him and Kairi some sweet air time, but just when the wheels of their motorcycle hit the ground, Seifer and Raijin suddenly emerge from a hidden shortcut and hit them with a red orb, zooming past them at an inhuman speed and afterwards heading toward Olette and Hayner.

"Olette!" Kairi cries out as a warning.

From the inside of their jeep, Olette checks her rearview mirror and finds Seifer and Raijin speeding towards them with another red orb in hand.

"Um, Hayner?" Olette asks nervously. Beside her, the gamer only gulps empty-handed and instructs Olette to turn into another hidden shortcut, but before she can do so, Seifer successfully throws the orb at their kart, and Raijin purposely sideswipes them out of the way upon passing them.

The two reach the final stretch of the race, but just when they thought that they had gotten everyone out of the way, Seifer narrows his eyes at Riku and Xion who just are a few seconds ahead. Seifer searches the area for any boxes but sees none between their position and the finish line. He then checks his empty hands and lets out a low growl. The stupid Oathkeepers had been getting in his way for far too long, and this wasn't another win that he would let them have. He readies his manadrive glove and, without the concept of consequences in mind, lets his anger translate into a powerful thundaga spell aimed right for Riku and Xion's kart.

"Riku!" Xion cries out. Upon hearing Xion's cry for help and the familiar crackling of thunder, Riku quickly checks his rearview mirror, but he sees the attack too late. Seeing as they were wedged in a narrow tunnel, there was no escape.

For Xion, everything happens in slow motion. Upon seeing the streak of lightning headed straight for her, she finds herself unable to think, lips parted in shock. Immediately taking action, Riku angles the car in a way that would have the lightning hit him first and shields Xion's body with his own. His eyes widen when he feels her keyblade wedged in between them, and after hesitating for a split second, he decides to take it for the sake of their safety. With a deep intake of breath, he casts a reflect spell, but the Kingdom Key proves to be too weak, and the lightning pierces through it like glass.

He feels their kart flip over, and the last thing Riku hears is Xion's scream before blacking out entirely.

* * *

When Riku regains consciousness, his eyes open to a blur of green light and familiar red hair hovering above him.

"Kairi," he calls weakly when his eyes slowly regain their focus. The soreness in his muscles begins to disappear, and its only then that he realizes that Kairi has been casting a cure spell on him the entire time. When she finally sets her Kingdom Key down, she noticeably sobs in relief before pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

"Sora!" she cries. "He's awake!"

Behind him, Riku hears hurried footsteps before his embrace with Kairi becomes an all too familiar three-way group hug.

"Thank goodness," Sora chokes in relief. "You had us so worried, Riku."

"Wh…" he starts as he tries to make out his surroundings. "Where's Xion?" he finally croaks when he realizes that they're still on the race track. "Where is she?"

Sora and Kairi share a look before helping Riku into a sitting position. With careful movements, they turn Riku in Xion's direction, and he immediately tries to jump back onto his feet at the sight and would've succeeded if it weren't for the sharp throbbing in his head.

"Hey, hey!" Sora yells while holding him down by the shoulders. "Riku, you can't get up yet! You have to regain your balance!"

Riku holds back a sob of his own when he sees Xion's limp figure in Axel's shaking arms, his face drained of all colour. To their right, the kart they'd been racing in was nearly totalled, and to their left, Xion's helmet and wig lay forgotten on the ground. Behind Axel, Roxas unsuccessfully fights a few tears at the state of their best friend and wipes them away with the back of his hand.

"She's breathing," Sora assures, "just unconscious."

Riku immediately turns to Kairi with hardened eyes.

"Heal her," he pleads, recalling that she had been the best with curative spells during their days in training due to Aqua's magic expertise.

"I tried," Kairi admits weakly, "but this keyblade is too weak. I managed to heal some bruising and scratches, but I can't get her to wake up. I'm sorry."

When Riku nods in understanding, Sora decides to explain the situation in attempts to calm him down.

"The authorities managed to get Seifer and Raijin," he says, "but we're still waiting on medical. We just need to hang tight for a bit."

While the information leaves a bitter taste in Riku's mouth, Sora senses his guilt and places a reassuring hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay," Sora whispers. "It's not your fault, Riku. I may not be aware of the entire situation, but I'm sure that everything will make sense and fall into place soon enough."

Riku chuckles half-heartedly at Sora's unfailing optimism but appreciates the comforting words, nonetheless. "Thanks, Sora, but I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than that."

Just as if he'd jinxed it, everyone on the track goes silent when Axel finally lays eyes on a newly awakened Riku.

" _You_ ," he growls while gently handing Xion to Roxas and getting up on his feet.

"Axel," Roxas warns, sensing his best friend's violent mood.

With some difficulty, Riku manages to get back on his feet, but he keeps his face impassive as Axel approaches him wordlessly. A few seconds pass in silence, but the instant Axel gets close enough, he doesn't hesitate to punch Riku right in the face. While everyone around them gasps in shock, Kairi and Sora immediately try to rush to Riku's side, but Axel quickly picks him off the ground and lifts him up by the collar of his shirt.

"You little shit," Axel seethes. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I'm sorry," Riku croaks. Axel goes for another punch, bringing Riku down to his knees, and everyone winces at the sickening sound of his body helplessly crumpling to the ground.

"Guys, stop!" Hayner yells. Behind him, Olette cowers in fear at the violent scene.

"Do you have any idea what you've put her through?" Axel screams. "She was safe in that castle! I kept her safe!"

"She wasn't living in that room," Riku says determinedly despite the blood dripping from the edge of his mouth. He looks up and faces Axel with narrowed eyes. "Not really, at least."

Roxas feels his heart still at the words. It had been a similar case with Naminé.

Axel, on the other hand, disregards the explanation and readies his fist for another punch.

"Axel, please!" Kairi cries disapprovingly.

Axel throws the punch, but before it can make contact with Riku once more, the redhead finds himself being thrown back by an aero spell. After wiping the edge of his—now—dirtied mouth, Axel gets back up and finds Sora standing in between him and Riku with a keyblade in hand.

"Sorry, Axel," the brunet apologizes while forming a battle stance. "But if you want him, you'll have to go through me."

Kairi soon accompanies him with a keyblade of her own, presumably Xion's that had flown out of her kart.

"And me," she says, eyes hard with determination. She and Sora form an X with their blades, blocking their best friend from Axel's path entirely.

The pyromaniac scoffs at their united front and picks up his chakrams in response. A part of him feels bad for having Sora and Kairi dragged into his supposed squabble with Riku, but this was hardly a trivial matter. The tips of his hands begin to glow bright orange, a few flames dancing on his fingertips, and Roxas' eyes go wide at the sight.

"So be it," Axel then growls angrily. Sora and Kairi ready themselves for an attack, but before Axel has the chance to even throw a single chakram, the arrival of medical services brings their potential fight to an end.

* * *

The hospital, built separately from the main island, was located just a five-minute ferry ride away from the resort. In the lobby of the innovatively built facility, Sora carefully approaches his best friend in the empty waiting area while the remainder of their household waits by the hallway near Xion's room on the sixth floor. Although Riku's wounds had been recently healed, his emotional pain is still very evident in his wilting posture.

"Hey," Sora greets while taking the seat next to him. "We all heard the news. Geostigma, huh?"

Riku sighs heavily at the reminder. "Yeah."

"If it's any consolation, Kairi and I are on your side," Sora assures, "and it's not just because we're obligated to be as your best friends. We think you're doing a good thing, Riku."

"Perhaps," Riku agrees half-heartedly, "but look where it's gotten her."

"Exactly. Look where it's gotten her," Sora repeats, though it oddly sounds better coming from him. "She's probably had the time of her life because of you."

While Riku basks in a contemplative silence, he catches Sora grinning at him supportively from his peripheral vision no more than ten seconds later.

"So is this why you opened up to her?" the brunet asks, putting the pieces together from earlier that day and their feels consultation from earlier that week. "Because she opened up to you?"

Riku mulls over the question and eventually nods.

"I couldn't let her live that way," he explains melancholically. "When you're a teenager just about everything feels like the apocalypse, but for Xion… the end really is coming soon."

Sora's eyes haze at the thought.

"But despite that she acts hopeful," Riku then adds. "Really puts things into perspective, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Sora agrees, but before his thoughts can drift elsewhere, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket.

 _Text received from_ **Kairi** :  
Come up - she's awake!

"Xion's up," Sora informs while pocketing his phone. Riku noticeably sighs in relief, but when Sora gets back up on his feet and offers his hand to help his best friend up, he notices that he hasn't moved an inch.

"You go ahead," Riku instructs. "Axel and Roxas are likely with her right now, so I'll catch up with you in a bit."

After an understanding nod, Sora turns his heel towards the elevators, but just before he takes one step forward, Riku calls him back.

"Yes?" Sora asks, his hair bouncing from the sudden stop.

"Thank you," Riku says graciously, "for defending me earlier. If it weren't for you and Kairi, Axel probably would've knocked my ass out."

Sora only bumps a fist to his chest and flashes Riku his signature "I'm a hero" grin, and the latter nearly chuckles at the cliché gesture despite the situation at hand.

* * *

Upstairs in room 6B, Xion regains consciousness at approximately 11:54PM, and when she does, the first thing she takes comfort in are two familiar faces.

"Hey," she greets hoarsely.

"Hey," Axel and Roxas greet back softly. After pressing a few buttons on the side of her bed, the two manage to get her into a comfortable sitting position. When she finally makes out her surroundings, she groans at the realization that she's been taken to a hospital and scrunches her eyes at the brightness.

"What's the damage?" she asks.

"Nothing too critical, thankfully," Roxas answers. "Most of your injuries were pretty much healed by Kairi before you even got here, but you'll need to spend a few days recovering from your concussion."

"Any word on the stigma?" Xion asks.

"No," Axel immediately says while placing a warm hand overtop hers. "Nothing about that."

"Hmm," Xion hums, relieved. Then, without moving her head, she slowly moves her eyes to look at Axel. "Please don't be mad at him," she suddenly pleads.

At the mention of Riku, Axel inhales sharply and wills himself to calm down.

"Please, Axel," Xion croaks, "I haven't had that much fun in a long time. He was only trying to help."

"And he nearly got you killed," Axel points out through gritted teeth. "Now I know I can be an asshole ninety-nine percent of the time, but I am, if anything, truthful, and I'm telling you right now that I _really_ can't keep that promise, Xi."

"Axel," Roxas warns when he notices Xion cower under his hard gaze. "Look, I don't like this situation as much as you do, but Riku really was only trying to help. I only know this because I've been there before myself—with Naminé."

"Oh, so you're taking his side?" Axel challenges with crossed arms.

"It's not about taking sides," Roxas argues. "It's about facing the facts. Xion's _dying_ , Axel, and as much as you and I want to spend as much time with her as possible, Riku has helped me realize that we also have to consider what _she_ wants."

"Roxas," Xion whispers through watery eyes.

"So you'd have her frolic around with some guy that'll quicken the process?" Axel asks incredulously. "I can't believe we're having this conversation right now. Look, I love you both, and I'm relieved that you're still with us, Xi, but if I need to waste my breath on one more minute of this conversation, then I'm going to lose it. I'll catch you guys when you've gotten your heads straight. Screw this."

After tossing his hands into the pockets of his jeans and dramatically kicking his chair aside, Axel takes his leave, and the tears spill freely from Xion's eyes.

"Hey, it's okay," Roxas says while rubbing reassuring circles into her back. "He'll come around eventually. He always does."

After a few sniffles, Xion finally looks up at him and attempts a smile, and Roxas reciprocates the gesture with an awkward grin of his own. Amidst the silence, the door creaks open, and Naminé timidly pokes her head inside.

"Um… can we come in?" she asks shyly.

After wiping a few tears away, Xion eventually nods, and alongside Naminé, Sora, Kairi, Hayner, Pence, and Olette also enter the room.

"Hey Xion," Kairi greets gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Xion confesses, "but Roxas told me that you managed to heal most of my injuries earlier, so thank you."

"There's no need to thank me for that," Kairi assures. "Any friend of Riku's is automatically a friend of mine—and besides, it's not everyday that I meet a fellow female keyblade wielder!"

While Xion feels the ends of her lips twitching into a smile at Kairi's words, Sora throws his hands behind his head and eyes his cousin with suspicion.

"So is this why you wanted to win Battle of the Bands so badly?" he questions, referring to Xion's condition.

Roxas sighs at his cousin's blunt delivery. "Well I suppose the cat _is_ out of the bag now, isn't it?"

When the lead singer of The Oathkeepers nods in confirmation, Sora lets his hands fall loosely to his sides.

"Well why didn't you just say so?" Sora asks enthusiastically. "We'd be happy to help! From here on out, we'll do whatever it takes to make sure that The Oathkeepers win this year's competition! Right guys?"

Amidst the nods of agreement from Naminé, Pence, Kairi, and Olette, Hayner defiantly raises his hand, but before he can verbally disagree, Sora immediately covers his mouth and answers on his behalf.

"We'd _all_ be happy to help," the brunet assures through gritted teeth. While Xion chuckles appreciatively at their antics and helpful nature, a familiar figure by the door captures her attention, and everyone scrambles to their feet and clears their throat at Riku's presence. By unspoken agreement, everyone leaves the room and gives the two their space, but even after shutting the door, Riku and Xion both know that their friends are likely listening to their conversation from the other side.

"Well that wasn't awkward at all," Riku remarks.

"No," Xion agrees as he makes his way to the side of her bed and leans against the edge with crossed arms. "Not at all."

"How's your head?" he then asks with genuine concern.

"Heavy," Xion answers truthfully, "but apparently it isn't screwed on correctly either, so I think both negatives just cancel each other out."

Riku nods and picks up what she's throwing down. "Axel isn't happy about our arrangement."

"Not in the slightest," Xion replies.

"Yeah, I figured," Riku sighs while running a hand through his hair. "I should've gotten that from the black eye he managed to give me earlier."

"I'm sorry about that," Xion whispers. "He's just a little too overprotective sometimes."

Riku chuckles lightly at the words. "You're sorry? I'm the one that put you in here. I should be the one getting down on my knees and apologizing."

"So why aren't you?" Xion asks teasingly.

"Because I have my reputation to consider," Riku teases back, but despite Xion's laughter, his guilt is quick to resurface. "I really am sorry, Xi. After everything that's happened… how are you not scared of me?"

"Because you're the one who wanted me to experience life like a normal teenager," Xion explains. "You're the one who taught me that finding yourself in all sorts of situations, no matter how strange or stupid, helps build character, and yet here we are. Isn't this just one of those instances? Besides, I don't care if Axel thinks I'm making a mistake with you, Riku. If I am, then it's the best one I've ever made."

"Xi…" Riku starts, touched.

"And if I'm being totally honest, I'm more scared about what this might entail," Xion confesses.

"And what might that be?" Riku questions.

Xion hangs her head low at the thought. "That the adventures of Riku and Alice are over."

"Hmm," she hears Riku hum as her words sink in. Her heart suddenly skips a beat when one of his hands finds hers, and she looks up at him with widened eyes.

"I'm afraid they are," he answers truthfully. Her heart sinks, but before it can fall too far, Riku tightens his grip on her hand and offers her a hopeful smile. "But that just means that the adventures of Riku and Xion have just begun."

**tbc**


	14. sankofa

Background Information (NEW!):

TERMINOLOGY **:**

**Sankofa:** an African word from the Akan tribe of Ghana that can be translated to "go back and fetch it" or "there is no shame in going back to fetch what you have left behind", but its symbolic meaning encourages everyone to shamelessly learn from the past in order to carve a better future. It is physically represented by a stylized heart-shaped symbol or a mythical bird with its head facing backwards and an egg in its mouth.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XIV | sankofa

* * *

On the third floor of the Disney Castle, Hayner finds himself pacing back and forth in the hallway in deep thought.

It was finally time, he thinks. After weeks of slow, but gradual progress, weeks of suffering through awkward interactions (on his end, admittedly), and weeks of shared laughs and high fives, he had finally reached the boss battle:

Hayner Arundel was going to ask out a girl.

Well, not on a date, per se, but a casual outing, but that could still be categorized under "asking out", right?

At the thought of his quest, Hayner finds his heart rate quickening once again. Never in his life had he felt so unprepared. In the digital world, it was easy to know if you were truly ready for a boss battle. You'd have the right armour equipped, the right weapons at your disposal, the right strategy in mind, and your skills would be preferably maxed. In the real world, how did you know you were prepared? Where was the inventory? Where were the health bars that told you if you were fucking up?

As much as CuTiePie hated to admit it, he needed help on this one. He needed the right equipment, the right skills, the right guidance, and who better to ask for said guidance than the man who'd supposedly conquered so many women himself?

After a deep intake of breath, Hayner raises his hand and finally musters the courage to rap his knuckles against Axel's door.

After a few hushed giggles (or at least he _hoped_ they were giggles), the door swings open, and Hayner immediately shields his eyes at the sight of a half-naked Axel from the waist up. Larxene saunters out of the room with her clothes noticeably wrinklier than usual, and she passes Hayner with nothing but a playful salute.

The gamer fights the urge to roll his eyes. It seemed that Axel's way of coping with yesterday's tense events (or anything serious, for that matter) was to partake in more meaningless shenanigans.

"I thought she was upset with you," Hayner comments when Axel's lady friend is out of earshot.

"The key word there is _was_ ," Axel corrects while leaning against his doorframe. "Besides, the best part of an argument is the making up portion—not that you'd know, obviously. Now, how may I be of service to you?"

"You can start by putting on a shirt," the gamer answers, his hand still over his eyes. He lets his defenses down when he hears Axel walk back into his room in compliance. Hayner enters the jungle, and Axel, now fully clothed, plops himself down on his egg-shaped straw chair.

"So what's up?" the pyromaniac repeats. "If you're here for a sexual favour, I'm flattered by your selection, but I'm afraid I don't swing in that direction—not that there's anything wrong with that, of course."

"That's not why I'm here," Hayner says before the redhead can make any more incorrect assumptions. "I, uh… need your expertise. O-on getting a girl."

Axel raises an eyebrow in amusement and smirks. He then grabs a bottle of hair gel from his bedside table, skillfully throws it in the air and catches it with a wink.

"My friend," he starts, "you've come to the right place."

No more than twenty minutes later, Hayner emerges from Axel's room dressed in a muscle tank that's too loose for his body, pants that are far too big, a bandana secured around his neck, and his hair spiked in a manner much like the pyromaniac himself. Unfortunately for him, that particular hairstyle only looked good on a select few—that select few being only Axel. He was no expert, but Hayner was pretty sure he at least knew what _didn't_ look good on him.

Before anyone can witness his horrendous makeover, Hayner makes a mad dash for his room, but just when he thinks he's home free, his door swings opens from the inside. Sora walks out with his cleaning cart, and in the midst of downing a water bottle, he immediately does a spit take at the very sight of him and freely releases the laughs that he doesn't bother to withhold.

"I'm sorry," he says in between wheezes. He then brings out his phone and snaps a picture before Hayner has a chance to react, and without any shame whatsoever, calls Kairi while wheeling his cart out of the room. "Hey, are you in your room right now? Great, 'cause I got something to show you, and _oh_ you gotta see it!"

Hayner facepalms himself as Sora's laughter dies down at the end of the hallway. His reaction only confirmed what he'd already known walking out of Axel's room, and that was the fact that appearances weren't the way to go. To get the girl, perhaps he needed a change in attitude, and he knew just the guy who could help.

* * *

Back in the hospital, a freshly showered and changed Riku walks into Xion's room just as Roxas and Naminé take their leave.

"Anything happen while I was gone?" the silver-haired teen questions while carefully placing his duffel bag on the reclining chair closest to Xion who appears to be asleep.

"No," Roxas answers with a yawn. "She was awake during breakfast but went back to bed afterwards. She was starting to stir right before you got here, so my guess is that she'll be awake again soon."

"Cool with me," Riku responds. "You guys should head back and freshen up, too. I can take it from here."

"Sure," Roxas teases cheekily. While Riku rolls his eyes in response, Naminé lightly elbows her boyfriend. "I'm _kidding_. I'll catch you later at practice, Riku?"

The older teen nods. "I'll be there."

After a farewell wave, Riku carefully shuts the door behind them and turns around to a newly awakened Xion.

"Hmm," she hums as her eyes readjust to the light and her surroundings. "You know, you don't have to stay here and watch over me. I'll pretty much just be in bed all day."

"A Funtertainer must always be present with their guests at all times," Riku recites. "Sora's covering the fort back home, so I'm afraid you're stuck with my pleasant conversation."

"What's that?" Xion asks curiously when Riku pulls out a few thin sheets of what appears to be laminated paper from his duffel bag.

"You didn't think that we'd be taking a break from the teenage bucket list just because you're bedridden, did you?" he asks.

Xion's jaw nearly drops, and Riku laughs at her reaction. "Seriously? After what just happened? I'm all for crossing more things off the list, but the doctors said I need at least two more days to recover."

"What can I say?" Riku asks while making his way over to her bedside. "I'm no slacker."

"What could we possibly fulfill while I'm in this condition?" Xion asks. Riku shows her the most recent item that he'd highlighted on the teenage bucket list. "Get a tattoo?" she reads incredulously. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I don't know, am I?" Riku asks while showing her the sheets of paper that he'd retrieved from his bag. At the top of the sheet, the words _Temporary Tattoos_ are written in neat calligraphy, and each paper has a different set of symbols and patterns to choose from.

"Choose wisely," Riku advises, "because this will remain on your body for the entirety of—" he quickly checks the back of one of the sheets "—three to four days."

Suppressing a giggle, Xion carefully examines her options until her eyes land on a stylized heart symbol that appears to swirl on both the inside and the bottom. "That one," she says while pointing at her tattoo of choice.

Riku examines the back of the packet and reads the contents.

"A sankofa," he reads while peeling the plastic layer off the tattoo. "To the Akan tribe of Ghana, it means 'there is no shame in going back to fetch what you have left behind'."

"All that from a little heart?" Xion asks while outstretching her bare arm towards Riku. "I just thought it looked pretty."

Riku chuckles at her reasoning as he begins to position the tattoo at the end of her forearm, just before her wrist. "This okay?" he asks. When Xion nods, he soaks a tissue with water from a nearby water bottle and gently presses down on her arm.

"Would you ever get a real one yourself?" Xion asks amidst the silence. "A tattoo, I mean."

"Maybe," Riku answers. "I'd need to find the right one, though."

"It _would_ make you seem more badass than you actually are," Xion teases cheekily. Riku scoffs and releases the pressure from her arm. He gently peels the paper off to reveal a perfect sankofa. "Badass?" Xion questions jokingly with her head slightly cocked to the side.

The end of Riku's lips curve upward in agreement. "Badass."

After a brief, but pleasant silence, Riku hears a knock on the door just as he begins to clean the area.

"Who is it?" Riku asks. To answer his question, Hayner timidly pokes his head into the room.

"Hey," Hayner greets. "Can I, um… talk to Riku for a sec?"

"Sure," the silver-haired teen in question answers. "Come on in."

"Um, I'm good," Hayner assures. "I'll just wait out here until you're done."

Just before the gamer can go back into hiding like a turtle in his shell, Xion calls him back. He noticeably flinches in response.

"Hayner, no!" Xion calls. "Come in. I'm totally cool with it."

"Um, it's pretty boring stuff," Hayner says while faking a shrug. "Just bro talk. Wouldn't want to let you suffer through it."

"Hayner, I've hung out with Roxas and Axel for most of my life," Xion points out. "I think I can handle bro talk."

Sensing that they weren't taking the hint, Hayner admits defeat and walks into the room with a groan. As he makes their way towards them, he attempts to re-word his situation in a less obvious manner.

"So what's up?" Riku asks while taking a seat.

"Um…" Hayner starts. "What would you say if I needed help on this... game that I'm not very good at… and there's this certain level that I can't pass because I don't have adequate experience in this particular, um… game…"

Hoping that he catches his drift, Hayner gives Riku a hard stare, but the awkward silence lasts a grand total of about five seconds before both Riku and Xion burst out laughing at his transparency.

"Are you asking Riku for girl advice?" Xion asks while wiping a tear from one of her eyes.

Hayner blushes madly and crosses his arms at the accusation. "I was hoping he'd be more help than Axel," he mumbles, "but this is proving to be much more humiliating."

"Are you sure? The photo that Sora sent me earlier was pretty bad," Riku chortles. Hayner curses at the mention of the photo that Sora had snapped earlier.

"First of all, asking Axel for girl advice was mistake number one," Xion points out. "He's pretty much an asshole ninety-nine percent of the time."

"But he gets the girls," Hayner says with a shrug, "so I figured that he must be doing something right."

"Um, _wrong_ ," Riku corrects. "Getting a girl isn't about being an asshole—it's about being confident."

"Confident?" Hayner repeats with confusion.

Riku nods. "Yeah. Unless the girl genuinely thinks that you're not compatible, she can't say no to the right amount of confidence. You can't have too much, but you certainly can't have too little, either. If you're thinking of asking her out, don't hide behind a wingman or anything: just straight up ask her yourself. That shows courage, and chicks dig that."

"You know, I don't have much experience in this 'game' either," Xion admits, "but that does sound like something that I, as a girl, would appreciate."

"Be sure of yourself, but don't come across as sleazy," Riku advises. "There's nothing worse than a guy trying to act like something he isn't."

"Huh," Hayner says, drinking in the new information. Now that he thought about it, Olette did react poorly to his sorry attempt at flirting the first time they'd encountered each other at the castle, and he was trying awfully hard to come across as charming. Maybe Riku was onto something. "That… sounds a lot simpler than I thought it would be."

"That's really all there is to it," Riku says, "but it helps if you know something about her as well—you know, to break the ice. Try starting a conversation based on something she likes, or maybe what she's doing the next time you see her, or maybe compliment something she's wearing, then think of where to invite her based on that. Make sure you come across as thoughtful though, not creepy."

"Yeah, and don't force her into anything she may not like," Xion quips, "like mac and cheese with ketchup or something."

Riku playfully nudges Xion at the inside joke and the latter chuckles at his reaction.

"Oh, and make sure you don't smell," Riku then adds. "Have some deoderant or body spray handy, pop a mint, but don't overdo it. I personally chew gum. Gives off a more relaxed impression."

"Break the ice based on something she likes," Hayner repeats, "be thoughtful, not creepy, don't smell, and try to chew gum. Okay, I think I got it. Thanks guys!"

When Hayner excitedly runs out of the room with a supposed recipe for success, Xion turns back to face Riku with her lips pursed into a straight line.

"You realize that with his inexperience, you may have just sent him off to his possible doom, right?" she questions.

Riku shrugs at the possibility. "Perhaps. But even if he does, a wise soul once told me that there's a potential lesson to be learned in heartbreak, so he really can't lose now, can he?"

Xion's eyes soften at the mention of the lesson she'd taught him during their night out at the drive-in theatre. As he continues to tidy up in silence, she can't help but notice that the young man sitting across from her was certainly not the same one that she'd accidentally seen making out with Selphie in the castle lounge. It had only been a few weeks, but this Riku was different, and there was no denying it now.

Slowly but surely, the walls around the heart of the brooding, mysterious playboy were starting to crumble, and he may not be able to feel it just yet, but she sure can.

* * *

Back in the castle, in attempts to be somewhat productive, Olette and Kairi try to get through some summer homework in the library.

The library, which was two floors high, housed a vast array of books that were neatly sorted on abnormally curved shelving, but the unique design choice gave the place a quirkiness that Olette, who had been there numerous times before, had grown to appreciate. The two girls currently occupy a table in the centre, and while Olette is hard at work scribbling equations into her notebook, Kairi finds herself stuck on page ten of her English novel for what feels like eternity as memories from the past consume her mentally.

**Destiny Islands, one year ago**

"Psst."

At the sound of Sora trying to get her attention, fifteen-year-old Kairi, one week away from sixteen, lowers her Biology textbook and playfully narrows her eyes in his direction before hiding behind her book once again.

"Psst."

This time, the sound is accompanied by a light nudge on her foot, and Kairi returns the kick with equal (if not more) force.

"Psst!"

After the third attempt, Kairi drops her textbook entirely and groans.

"Sora, I'm trying to study," she says, and although her intent was to sound annoyed, her amused smile betrays her entirely. On the other side of Sora's bed, the brunet sits with his knees up and arms crossed, his signature goofy grin gracing his lips. By his hip, his Algebra textbook has been long abandoned.

"Do we _have_ to?" he questions while nudging Kairi with his foot once again.

"Um, yes," Kairi answers while burying her face in her textbook. "We both have exams tomorrow, so I suggest you get to it."

With a defeated huff, Sora uncrosses his arms, but a wicked smile makes its way onto his lips when an idea crosses his mind.

"Well," he starts while subtly crawling over to her, "I'd much rather be doing other things."

"Oh yeah?" Kairi asks, failing to tear her eyes away from her book. "Like what?"

When Sora doesn't respond for quite some time, Kairi decides to lower her textbook in suspicion but squeaks in pleasant surprise when she finds Sora's faces only inches away from hers, their noses just touching. He tilts his head ever so slightly and lightly nudges her nose with his.

"S-Sora," she stammers, adorably flustered.

"What?" he asks. He gently tracing her jawline with his thumb and gladly relishes in the fact that he could do it so openly to the girl of his affections.

"W-we need to study," she mumbles, red-faced at the sight of his blue eyes glistening with want for her. He noticeably eyes her lips and grazes his over hers for a brief moment, but just when Kairi feels herself leaning into him and succumbing to his seductive charms, he unexpectedly pulls away with crossed arms.

"All right," he says defeatedly, "I guess I'll just go back to studying and—mmph!"

Sora quickly finds himself silenced by Kairi's lips, her hands on his chest, and it doesn't take long for her to lower him onto his own bed. After he secures his hands on her hips, Kairi quickly leans down and kisses him deeply, and Sora returns it with equal fervor, taken aback but very much enjoying her sudden dominance. Both appreciate every hot kiss and pleasurable touch placed upon them, the warm sensation bubbling in the pit of their stomachs growing more and more powerful the more they progress. It feels like mere minutes, but a whopping half hour later, Sora flips them over so that he's on top and desperately crushes Kairi's lips with his own.

Throughout their heavy smooching session, Kairi can't help but notice how much Sora's kissing ability had improved in such a short amount of time. Their first kiss, which they'd shared only a few days ago, wasn't particularly bad, but admittedly clumsy given their inexperience. Now, it certainly wasn't bad at all—not in the least bit.

"Okay," Kairi murmurs against Sora's lips. Out of sheer will power, she places her hands on Sora's chest and pushes him away lightly. "Now I really have to study."

"No, just a little more," Sora pleads while lowering his lips onto hers, unable to get enough. She chuckles against him and playfully hits his chest.

"Sora, come on," she whimpers.

"Okay, then you stop first," he challenges against her lips. Sora chuckles when she's unable to follow through, and after a few more minutes of shameless kissing, the two find themselves being interrupted by the sound of Sora's mother calling them from downstairs.

"Sora! Kairi!" she hollers. "Dinner's ready!"

Her first call goes by unanswered, but her follow up a few minutes later warrants a response from her son to dismiss any suspicions.

"Be there in a second!" Sora yells, but his words are somewhat muffled as his lips are preoccupied with something else.

"We should really stop," Kairi suggests.

"We really shouldn't," Sora argues. Just as he's about to lift one of her legs to wrap around his waist, the two hear a few knocks on the door and face each other with wide eyes. "Okay, _now_ we should stop," Sora suggests.

"What do we do?" Kairi whispers frantically.

"Just go back to what we were doing before!" Sora answers in a hushed voice.

"What? No!" Kairi argues, her flushed cheeks nearly as red as her hair. "I'm all flustered! Your mom is totally gonna know something's up!"

Sora immediately picks her up in response and sets her down by his closet door.

"Then hide!" he suggests, but before she can protest, he gently shoves her inside and slides the door closed. Just as his mom enters his room, Sora kicks Kairi's backpack under his bed and hastily makes his way on top with his tummy facing down for reasons that hopefully weren't _too_ obvious.

"Sora?" his mother calls softly. She finds her son casually "studying" on his bed but fails to notice that the textbook is upside down. "Where's Kairi?" she then asks when her son's redheaded best friend is nowhere in sight.

"She, uh… she went home," Sora answers carefully.

"Oh," his mother says with a slightly crestfallen expression. She'd always been fond of Kairi and her pleasant company. "That's too bad. I didn't see her leave."

"She went through the backdoor," her son replies, feigning nonchalance.

Sora's mother crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe. "Huh. I was just in the kitchen and I didn't see her go out the back."

Sora twitches at his mistake and feels his face growing hot at the lie.

"Did I say back? I meant front," he corrects with a toothy—albeit embarrassed—grin.

And just when he thinks his mother isn't buying it, she suddenly begins to chuckle.

"Oh, Sora," she starts, amused, "I find it so cute that you always get so flustered at the very mention of Kairi. You really should tell her how you feel someday."

" _Mom!_ " Sora whines. He quickly glares at his closet knowing that Kairi was likely stifling her laughter inside.

"What?" his mother asks. "You can't expect me to be blind to your obvious crush on her over the years."

"Wow, can we not do this?" Sora pleads. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to study. Big exam tomorrow. I'll come down and eat in a bit."

Sora's mother chuckles and respects her son's wishes by placing her hand on the doorknob.

"All right honey," she says. "Have fun studying."

"I won't," he sings as she shuts the door. When she's presumably out of earshot, Sora rushes over to his closet, opens it, and finds his—almost—girlfriend looking at him with a sly grin.

"Aww, Sora," she starts with her hands laced behind her back. She then brings one hand up to lightly and teasingly pinch his cheek. "You have a crush on me? I really had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"

Kairi squeaks when her—almost—boyfriend suddenly and forcefully hooks an arm around her waist and pulls her close so that their chests meet.

"Shut up," Sora mumbles, and Kairi giggles when he silences her lips with his.

Back in the present, newly seventeen-year-old Kaiti tunes back in to Olette frantically waving a hand in front of her face.

"Kairi, you there? Hello?" Olette asks.

"Huh?" Kairi asks, snapping out of her daze.

"You blanked out for a hot minute there," Olette explains with a giggle. "Just wanted to let you know that Tidus has texted and called twice now. I think he's outside."

Kairi immediately starts gathering her things into her tote bag at the news.

"Oh, my bad! Thanks Olette," the redhead says while grabbing the last of her things and rushing out of the library.

"Get a lot of reading done?" Olette asks with raised eyebrows when the redhead reaches the door.

"Mhm!" Kairi answers as she steps out—only to collide with Hayner pacing by the door. Her bag falls from her shoulder, causing its contents to scatter all over the floor. "Oh my gosh Hayner, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," the gamer says while leaning down to help her with her books. "I was the one in the way."

When they finish repacking the rest of her things, Hayner begins to scratch the back of his head and clears his throat.

"So, uh… before you go, do you mind if I ask you a question real quick?" he asks.

"Fire away," Kairi says while adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "What's up?"

"Do you, uh…" Hayner gulps. _Out with it,_ he mentally demands. _Kairi's cool. She won't judge you._ "Do you know what Olette's favourite food is?" he then asks in a hushed voice.

Kairi resists the urge to let out a knowing giggle and successfully keeps her amusement to herself.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," she answers confidently. "She orders it all the time back in Radiant Garden Academy. Can't go wrong with that one."

"Got it," Hayner says with a nod. "Thanks."

"No prob," Kairi sings before walking off, knowing that she'd be receiving a rather interesting text from her boarding school roommate in the very near future.

When Hayner finds himself alone in front of the library doors once again, he resumes his pacing and goes over his mental checklist one more time.

Conversation starters based on something she might like? Check. The morning that they'd discovered the Super Kingdom Karts race track she'd confessed that she was into a few video games (his heart nearly leapt out of his chest at this), so perhaps she'd be interested in checking out the finale of his Alliance of the Ancients tournament. And now that he knew what her favourite food was, perhaps that would give her more incentive to hang out with him afterwards.

Good hygiene? Hayner takes a quick whiff at his pits and nods in approval. Check.

Gum? He pulls out a stick of gum from his pockets and pops it into his mouth. After a few preliminary chews, he crosses it off the list as well.

 _Okay,_ he breathes. _It's time._

Fearing that he'd lose his "in the moment confidence", Hayner pushes the doors open without a moment's hesitation—

—and immediately feels his heart rate increase tenfold at the sight of Olette doing her homework at the table directly in front of him. He suddenly finds himself nervous again and begins to back up.

 _Abort mission_ , he demands fearfully. _Abort mission! Purposely die and resume from the last checkpoint! Go go go!_

His efforts to escape, however, prove to be futile when Olette acknowledges his presence with a friendly smile.

"Hayner," she greets. "I don't suppose you're here to get ahead on some summer homework too?"

In an effort to respond, Hayner opens his mouth but feels his heart drop when his gum suddenly moves to the back of his throat and into the wrong pipe. He begins to cough violently, and when Olette gets the gist of what's happening, she immediately runs to his side and performs the Heimlich maneuver until Hayner manages to spit the gum out onto the floor.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Olette asks when a very embarrassed Hayner regains his regular breathing pattern and composure.

 _Do or die,_ Hayner tells himself. _Do or die!_ He was already too far gone. There was no going back now. The only way to redeem himself was to follow through.

"Hey…" he starts hoarsely. "Do you, uh… maybe want to check out the final match of Alliance of the Ancients with me tomorrow?" Then, with straightened posture to exhibit more confidence, "Then maybe we could go out for some Italian after? I heard you like spaghetti and meatballs…"

During the brief moment of silence, Hayner notices two things: 1) he didn't stammer throughout that entire speech (inward high five!), and 2) was that a slight blush on Olette's cheeks just now?

Just when Hayner is about to praise Riku's expertise, Olette finally decides to respond.

"That sounds great, Hayner," she starts while nervously pulling on her elbow, "but…"

 _Not the but,_ Hayner thinks dramatically.

"I, uh, have this thing tomorrow," she confesses, and the excuse sounds so fake that his whole world comes tumbling down in an instant. "Please don't take it personally, though. Maybe we can reschedule?"

He may have been overthinking it, but at the word reschedule, Hayner can already _feel_ the pity through her forced smile. She didn't mean that. Rescheduling was just a courtesy, and it certainly wasn't flat out rejection, but it hurt just the same. He decides to do her the favour of withdrawing his invitation himself.

"Um… you know what? It's totally cool. Just forget I asked," he says, but before Olette can protest, he purposely cuts her off. "Thanks for, um… not letting me choke to death."

Sensing his disappointment and his need to be left alone, Olette just nods in understanding. "You're, uh… welcome."

"See ya around," he mumbles, and after throwing his hands into his pockets, he wordlessly exits the library with his head hung low in shame. He knows it; she knows it; and soon enough, the entire castle would know it.

It was game over for him.

* * *

"You _choked on the gum_?"

After a guilty nod from Hayner, the remainder of The Oathkeepers (sans Axel) look at each other with blank stares and their lips pressed shut. Their efforts to hide their amusement, however, fail miserably when they eventually fall over and laugh like hyenas at the news.

"I'm sorry," Roxas wheezes while clutching his stomach in pain. "But how does that even happen?"

"I was nervous, okay?" Hayner reasons with embarrassment.

Riku chuckles at the confession. "If it makes you feel any better, I will take partial fault for suggesting it in the first place."

"And look at it this way: if she was willing to reschedule even after giving you the Heimlich maneuver, then you're still in the clear!" Sora says optimistically. "I think you still have a decent chance."

"But you're forgetting the part where she flat out said she couldn't hang out with me because she has 'a thing'," the gamer reminds while putting physical air quotes around the latter. "The mention of rescheduling was just a pity move on her part."

"Not necessarily," Riku says.

"Yeah," Roxas agrees. "Olette doesn't strike me as that kind of person. Maybe she really does have a thing."

"She didn't give any specifics though," Hayner argues. "She's totally making it up."

"Hey, you don't know that for sure," Sora says with a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Maybe she's just embarrassed to tell you what it is. Maybe she's into underwater basket weaving or something."

"Or she's part of a book club that reads erotic novels," Riku offers jokingly.

"Or she's out there doing a public service and performing the Heimlich maneuver on other teenagers choking on gum," Roxas adds cheekily. He locks eyes with Sora and Riku, and just when Axel decides to make his entrance, the three boys fill the room with their hyena-like laughter once more.

"The hell are you all laughing at?" the pyromaniac asks as he takes his place behind the drum set.

"Riku's girl advice kind of backfired on Hayner," Sora confesses through tear-filled eyes.

Axel merely scoffs. "Great idea. Seek girl advice from the one who nearly got one killed."

Sensing his anger, Sora immediately holds Riku back when he takes a step forward with narrowed eyes. Axel merely outstretches his arms in a 'bring it on' fashion.

"Guys, guys," Roxas pleads. "Look, I know you both have clashing opinions about what happened yesterday, but we can't let the cookie crumble now. In fact, we need it to stay intact more than ever. If we truly want Xion to get better, we have to work as a team, so just try to put aside your differences and look at the bigger picture."

"Whatever," Axel grumbles with crossed arms.

"Riku?" Roxas asks, hopeful.

The silver-haired teen sighs. "I'll be civil."

"I'll take it," Roxas says while clapping his hands together. "All right, a few updates before we proceed with today's practice. First, Nams has been working on a logo for The Oathkeepers, and Pence has been looking into posting some behind the scenes performances and videos of us on my MeTube channel. He thinks more online presence will give us a leg up for the competition. Kairi has also been looking into getting our logo printed on t-shirts, sweaters, bomber jackets, beanies, caps, and maybe even some beach balls, so we have a whole line of merch to be excited for."

"That sounds awesome!" Sora exclaims. When Axel opens his mouth to speak, Roxas immediately shuts him down.

"And no, we are _not_ doing Oathkeeper branded condoms," the lead singer deadpans.

"So many potential taglines," the redhead whines.

"And second, on my way out from the hospital this morning, I was approached by the person that manages the performances at The Pier amusement park," Roxas announces excitedly. "Every Friday they do a music night, and we've been asked to perform. It's a paid gig, so not only will we get more publicity, but we'll get munny to fund the creation of our merchandise, too. You guys in?"

"Sure," Hayner says with a shrug. "It's not like I have anywhere to be after the Alliance of the Ancients competition anyways."

With a pout, Sora throws an empathetic arm around the gamer's shoulders. "Don't you worry Hayner. You've got your bandmates now! Consider your Friday night covered."

He'd never admit it—not out loud, at least—but Hayner can feel the slightest smile twitching at the ends of his lips when the rest of the band nods in agreement. For someone else to have his back… he had to admit it felt kind of nice.

* * *

Back in the hospital that night, Riku re-enters Xion's room with a plastic bag in hand and finds her playing video games on the portable console Hayner had lent her the previous night.

"Hey," Riku greets.

"Hey," she replies with her eyes still glued onto the little screen. "How was practice?"

"Same old, same old," Riku claims with nonchalance. "We laughed maniacally at Hayner's misery and Axel tried to fight me again."

Xion giggles as she finally sets the console down. "Sounds like business as usual."

"Sure was. Hungry?" he then asks while making his way over to her.

"I am, but not for hospital food," Xion admits.

"I figured you'd say that," Riku says when he pulls out two bento boxes from the plastic bag. "So I brought dinner."

He adjusts her bed so that she's sitting upright, rolls her bedside table in front of her, and places both boxes on the table. Intrigued by the delicious scent, Xion lifts the lid off of one of the boxes and is pleasantly surprised to find a well-balanced meal inside.

"Did you make this?" she asks.

"Hell no," Riku admits while pulling up a chair to her side. "The kitchen staff at the castle did. I'll be the first to admit that my cooking is incredibly bland, so you're really better off eating anything that _isn't_ made by me."

"Finally, something the great mysterious playboy is mediocre at," Xion teases. "So I suppose your diet will consist mostly of instant noodles when you take off for college?"

"You suppose correctly," Riku answers while breaking his chopsticks in half. "Feel free to dig in."

Halfway through their meal, Xion sets down her chopsticks and finds herself looking at Riku for quite some time. He notices.

"What?" he asks after chewing his food.

"I just realized that I never asked what school you'll be attending in the fall," she answers.

"Twilight Town University," Riku responds, and Xion's heart skips a beat at the answer. "I'm pursuing my Bachelor of Science first, then hoping to get into med school afterwards."

"Ah," Xion says knowingly, "you're going to be a doctor."

"Hoping to be," Riku corrects. "I was born into a generation of them, so I'm just next in line."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Xion foresees. "Getting into that school is hard enough as it is, so your grades must have been impressive."

Riku raises an eyebrow, surprised. "Have you been looking to apply there or something?"

"No. I just happen to live nearby," she answers with a slight shrug, feigning nonchalance.

"Is that so?" Riku asks. When Xion nods timidly, his lips curve upward into a small smile. "I might just have to come visit you after class then."

Xion tucks some of her hair behind her left ear and reciprocates the smile. "I'd like that."

All this time, she thought they'd be parting by summer's end, never to see each other again, but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that she'd still see him around afterwards. Perhaps their relationship would never go beyond what it was given his reputation with women (something she thinks she's _finally_ come to terms with), but it would at least go beyond the island.

"So…" Riku starts while setting his chopsticks down. "Now you know my tragic backstory and my plans for the fall. When do I get to know something about you?"

Xion shifts uncomfortably at the question. "You may want to pass on my backstory. It's pretty depressing and uneventful. It's like I said in my introductory interview: I'm not really anything special."

"I don't buy that," Riku argues.

"No, it's true," Xion insists. "The only reason I've built some sort of character is because of Axel and Roxas, and I'm only building more now because of the teenage bucket list. So in a way I guess you're helping me find out who I really am."

Riku's eyes soften at the words. "Well then I'm honoured to be part of the journey."

Xion offers him a small smile in return before finishing the last of her food. It isn't until a few minutes later that Riku decides to break their comfortable silence with something that's been pestering his brain for quite some time.

"So there is something I've been curious about," Riku confesses, "but it's a little personal. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Xion sighs. "Yes, when I first met Axel and Roxas I fully admit to thinking that they were a gay couple, but—"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there because that is nowhere near the level of seriousness that I wanted for this conversation," Riku says with a raised hand. Xion chuckles before letting him proceed. "It's pretty serious. Promise you won't get mad?"

"Just ask," Xion demands lightly.

Riku nods after a deep intake of breath. "When you first told me about your stigma…" Xion noticeably flinches at the topic but allows Riku to proceed. "You corrected yourself when you told me that your mother couldn't afford the treatments. You said _wouldn't_ afford afterwards. What… what did you mean by that?"

When Xion keeps her head hung low, Riku places a reassuring hand overtop hers.

"Again, you don't have to answer," he reminds softly.

"My mom…" Xion starts, and it's her way of telling Riku that she's okay. "My mom and I aren't what anyone would exactly call 'close'. I mean... I'm grateful that she's given me a roof over my head and always made sure that I had food in my stomach, but it's all just out of courtesy, not love. She's fully expressed that I was pretty much… unplanned," Xion words carefully. "I never knew my dad, and my mom doesn't make much munny either, so my stigma was pretty much a recipe for disaster."

Riku's heart tightens at her circumstances. "I… I'm sorry, Xi."

Xion shakes her head. "Don't be. I've accepted what my own mother thinks of me, but I don't let it dictate what I think about myself. She may think I'm a mistake, but I won't."

Riku nods approvingly at her attitude and supportively takes her small hand in his.

"Well, it's like what you told me yesterday," he reminds, "even if your mother thinks you're a mistake, which you're most definitely _not_ , then you're the best one she's ever made."

With a smile tugging at her lips, Xion tightens her grip on Riku's hand, and after a brief moment, he squeezes right back.

"So…" Xion starts slyly. "When do I get to ask about your keyblade training? Judging by the way you reacted when I brought it up before the race, I know there's a story to tell there."

Riku somewhat stiffens at the memory and shakes his head slightly. "That may be a story for another time."

Xion sighs tiredly and, after a yawn, accepts his answer.

"All right," she says. "I'll hold you to that. Night, Riku."

His eyes don't leave her as she lowers her bed and turns her back to him to make herself more comfortable. When her breaths become slow and steady, he smiles to himself half-heartedly before deciding to pack away their bento boxes.

"Night, Xi."

* * *

Back in the Disney castle, Roxas enters Naminé's room and finds his girlfriend hard at work at her drafting table.

"Hey Nam," he greets cheerfully. When he receives no response, he makes his way over to her with raised eyebrows. "Naminé?"

When she fails to acknowledge his presence a second time, he places his hands on her shoulders and peers at his girlfriend from behind. She doesn't jump in surprise, so she at least knew that he was there.

"Nam, what's wrong?" he questions when she refuses to make eye contact with him. He feels her shoulders stiffen at the question.

"Did you accept the gig at The Pier?" she asks, testing him.

"Um, yeah," Roxas answers, confused. "The guys said they were available."

"And did _you_ maybe have any conflicting priorities beforehand?" she then asks.

"I don't think so…" Roxas answers innocently. He then catches a glimpse of his girlfriend's most recent sketches and feels his heart drop at the realization. "Oh _shit_. It's your opening night on Artist's Alley tomorrow."

"Mhm," Naminé hums, finally turning to face him with crossed arms and slightly narrowed eyes. Roxas comes to learn that this displeased look doesn't suit her.

"I'm so sorry Nams, I totally forgot," Roxas admits. "B-but you don't start until like 7:30 right? We're only scheduled to perform until 7:15 at the very latest, so that gives me tons of time to get to you! I may not be able to help you with setting up, but I promise I'll still be there for my special girl."

Naminé blushes at the latter and allows him to pull her into a sweet, reassuring embrace.

"Okay," she mumbles into his shoulder. "But you better not flake last minute."

"Nams, I'll be there," Roxas repeats with confidence. He pulls her into a kiss, and from there it doesn't take long until both her legs are hooked around his waist as he carries her over to the edge of her bed.

**tbc**

* * *

**Fun fact:** The sankofa heart looks very similar to the Kingdom Hearts symbol.


	15. hand in hand

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XV | hand in hand

* * *

He didn't know what to call it.

Nerves, jitters, heebie-jeebies? Whatever it was, Hayner knew there was something off about the way he was playing in the Alliance of the Ancients finale. He wasn't executing his strategies properly, and to make things much worse, his opponent, A tasty meatball, was actually good. Not like "oh, he's pretty good", but " _fuck_ I actually have to try" good. It was no wonder they'd made it this far.

Hayner sighs when his champion is slain for the second time during the match, and the crowd _oohs_ in dismay. He was now behind by an entire tower, and if CuTiePie didn't shape up now, he'd be too far gone. He eventually comes close to slaying a tasty meatball's champion, but they manage to make it out alive by a few health points, and Hayner resists the urge to flip a table. The gamer gods had finally blessed him with a worthy opponent, but they must have collided at the worst time possible.

"Come on Hayner!" he hears Pence cheer from the sidelines. "You got this!"

Hayner briefly glances at his best friend in the crowd and notices an empty space beside him where a familiar brunette should be, but it's Pence's photography equipment that occupies the seat instead. Hayner feels his eyes haze at the sight. He knew that Olette's rejection the day before had really taken a toll on his confidence in the physical space (in fact he'd hardly slept a wink because of it), but he didn't think it could affect him so greatly in the digital space as well. CuTiePie was exhausted both physically and emotionally, and it becomes painfully obvious when a tasty meatball reigns victorious no more than fifteen minutes later.

He wishes he could say he put up a pretty good fight, but Hayner knew he'd be lying. Eight deaths and only two kills? He could see the headlines now.

_A tasty meatball devours CuTiePie alive._

As the hooded figure of a tasty meatball is crowned the victor of the 1v1 division, Hayner throws his hands into his pockets and drowns out the muffled applause as he makes his way out of the amphitheatre and towards the Arcadia snack bar. Perhaps some comfort food would do him some good, and now that he thought about it, mac and cheese with ketchup _did_ sound pretty good…

Hayner inwardly sighs. This is exactly why he never acted on his feelings before—it would only cause him trouble. How could Sora live with these unrequited feelings day in and day out? Hayner was only one day in, and he was just about ready to call game over. Was Sora some sort of masochist? Hayner then notes that his consoles have never disappointed him to this extent, and had he just stayed loyal, he probably wouldn't have felt as miserable as he did now.

 _That does it then_ , he thinks. From then on, it would only be him, himself, and his consoles.

No one else.

Just before Hayner reaches the snack bar, however, he feels someone suddenly tug at his arm and pull him into the boy's bathroom. Hayner stumbles and inside and feels his heart drop at the sight of a tasty meatball shutting the door behind him and locking it.

"Wh… what the hell?" Hayner asks, confused and angry at the same time. "Dude, are you seriously kidnapping me right now? As if losing to you wasn't embarrassing enough already. Now move before I call security."

The hooded figure raises their hands, willing Hayner to calm down, and when his breaths finally become somewhat steady, a tasty meatball pulls their hood down to reveal themself to him.

Hayner immediately topples backwards at their identity, but luckily a stall door is there to break his fall.

"O-Olette?!" he shrieks with disbelief. Suddenly, everything makes sense, and Hayner can feel his world slowly realigning once again.

"Shh!" Olette shushes with a finger to her lips. Hayner then begins to rub the back of his head sheepishly at his outburst. She _did_ disguise herself for a reason, after all.

"Right. Sorry," he apologizes. Then, in a hushed whisper, "You… You're a tasty meatball?"

Olette nods. Then, with a giggle, "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out. I did tell you that I was into video games, and I thought it became painfully obvious when Kairi told you that I liked spaghetti and meatballs."

Hayner rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. Had he seriously overlooked that? He had about a hundred other questions, but the first he decides to go with is "Why?"

"Because I didn't want anyone knowing who I was," Olette answers simply, "particularly a girl."

"Why not?" Hayner asks. "The tournaments aren't restricted to boys. Girls can play too."

"I know," Olette answers, "but would you have played differently knowing that I was a girl?"

"I, well…" Hayner starts. Now that he really thought about it, he didn't even consider a tasty meatball being a girl. The baggy hoodie made it far too hard to tell, but had he known... maybe he would have taken it a little easy on her. "I wouldn't want to be mean," he then words carefully.

"My point exactly," Olette says while snapping her fingers. "You either wouldn't give me your all because you'd be concerned about beating a girl or, alternatively, you'd be afraid of losing to a girl. Either way, I wouldn't want my opponent changing their behaviour or skill level because of my gender. If I'm going to win, I'll do it fair and square."

Hayner throws his hands into his pockets at her explanation. "Well, I wouldn't say fair and square. Your rejection hit me pretty hard yesterday, and it kind of hindered my performance. Unless…" He then narrows his eyes in suspicion. "That was your plan all along."

When Olette's jaw drops at the accusation, Hayner raises his hands in surrender.

"I was totally kidding," he assures.

Olette noticeably sighs in relief. "I'm sorry about rejecting you yesterday. I really am."

"It's all good," Hayner says with a forgiving smile. "At least now I know that you actually had a thing to go to and weren't making up lies to dodge me."

"I could never do that to you, Hayner," Olette says. "If it's any consolation, I really did want to hang out with you. I just couldn't tell anyone… not before the tournament at least."

"Well I don't think you need to hide at all. You're very good, and not just for a girl," Hayner compliments. "How long have you been playing?"

"Couple years, give or take," Olette answers with a shrug. "Kairi and I need to fill the void in our dorm room with something other than studying sometimes."

"So Kairi knows?" Hayner asks.

"She's always known," Olette answers with a giggle. "I just asked her not to say anything."

"It's just… Kairi's more open about the fact that she plays," Hayner observes, "but you… have you always hid behind this… identity?"

And Hayner knows he's hit a somewhat sensitive spot when Olette tenses at the question.

"You don't have to answer," Hayner offers, sensing her mild discomfort.

"No, it's okay," Olette assures. "The first thing you'll have to understand it that my family _really_ values strong work ethic."

Hayner nods. He could see that. From what he could gather, Olette was very much like that herself.

"They're extremely successful career-wise," Olette continues, "but it comes at the price of having no time for… distractions, so they don't really understand the concept of fun and games. We always pride ourselves in being prim and proper, but it gets very tiring. That's why I created another identity. In the digital space, no one knows who I am. I can be whoever I want. Truth be told, that's why I'm so jealous of you, Hayner."

"Jealous?" Hayner squeaks while pointing at himself. "Of me? Why?"

"Because you can openly be yourself in both the digital and physical space," Olette answers. "The CuTiePie we see online is the same CuTiePie we get in person. You don't have to hide. You're free to be whoever you want."

Hayner's shoulders slump slightly at her circumstances. He'd never had that issue creating his online identity. He couldn't even imagine acting like two different people. It would probably drive him nuts. "I'm sorry, Olette."

Olette laughs half-heartedly. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Well, I don't know what to say about your family," Hayner confesses, "but around me, you can be whoever you want. I'm very certain I'll like you either way."

Olette's lips curve upward into a grateful smile. "Thank you, Hayner. And I know that the boy's bathroom is hardly the best place to do this, but… would you like to go out and get spaghetti and meatballs with me?"

At her sudden offer to spend more time with him, Hayner tries to fight an oncoming blush by clearing his throat.

"Choke on some gum first, then we'll talk," he answers teasingly, and the two of them throw their heads back with a cheeky laugh.

* * *

Back in the hospital, after an entire day filled with shameless binge watching and gaming, Xion and Riku share another conversation over dinner that the latter had so generously snuck in.

"So there's something I've always been curious about," Xion starts while picking at the noodles in her takeout box with a pair of wooden chopsticks.

"If it has anything to do with the rumors circulating about my relationship with Sora, then I don't want to hear it," Riku jokes. "Fans of the Oathkeepers can certainly get very… imaginative."

Xion shakes her head with amusement. "No, not about that. I was just wondering, since Kairi's birthday and all… if she had an actual Duel of Hearts on her sixteenth birthday?"

Riku noticeably stops picking at his food at the question. "Yes," he answers carefully. "She did. On Destiny Islands it's customary to celebrate a girl's coming of age on her sixteenth birthday, and the Duel of Hearts is typically the final event of the evening. Obviously her father didn't give away her hand in marriage or anything, but since she's the mayor's daughter, she had a pretty grand party."

"So who won?" Xion asks, trying to pry the information out of him. She'd come to learn that Riku was a pretty reserved person, and in order to get him to open up, she'd have to work her way there.

"I did," Riku finally answers while resuming his meal.

Xion's eyebrows visibly raise in surprise. "And what did you win exactly?"

"A friendly kiss," he replies, "just on the cheek. We both know that I'm not the real victor of that match, though." Riku then sighs, but not the tired or annoyed kind. It sounded almost like a relieved exhale, which was all part of Xion's master plan.

"And what was the duelling method that was selected?" Xion asks, although she's fairly certain that she'd already pieced it together a while back. She just had to nudge him a little bit more...

"Well it was only me against Sora," Riku begins to explain, "and since we both practiced the Keyblade Arts at the time, Kairi's father had us participate in a sparring match."

Xion grins victoriously. She had him right where she wanted him.

"That reminds me," she starts while faking a curious look, "right before the Super Kingdom Karts race, you told me that you used to practice the Keyblade Arts but don't practice anymore. Why is that?"

Riku sets both his food and chopsticks down in realization. So _that's_ where Xion wanted to steer their conversation.

Noting his furrowed brows and pursed lips, Xion speaks up. "I know you said it was a story for another time, but I think it's time that you shared this burden with me," she reasons. "You've been helping me all summer. I think it's my turn to help you."

"Okay, first of all, I appreciate your concern, but I created the teenage bucket list without expecting anything in return," Riku starts. His fists then noticeably clench at what appears to be a painful memory. "And no offense, but I don't think anyone can help me with this one, Xi."

Xion boldly places a warm hand on his back as a comforting gesture. "Look, I know this isn't easy for you, but sometimes even just letting it out helps. I took that chance with you, and I've never regretted it since. You can trust me, Riku."

Riku leans into her touch and lets the words sink in. Her confidence and mental state _had_ improved greatly over the last few weeks, and had he not pushed her to open up to him, she probably would've been stuck in the castle, letting life pass her idly by. If he told her now, could she possibly do the same and liberate him from this burden? Riku shakes his head at the question. He could never admit it out loud, but he knows that she's already somewhat doing it. Perhaps then… he could let this wall down for her as well. There was nothing more to lose than what he'd already lost, after all.

He inhales sharply and begins to speak, though his sights remain fixated on the door.

"I had a master," he starts, and Xion notes the past tense. "His name was Terra, and he was like an older brother to me. He lived with Sora and Kairi's masters, Ventus and Aqua, and we've all been training with them since we were ten. He was pretty reserved, often exhibiting 'tough love' towards me, but despite all that he always tried to set a good example. He often gave me advice not just about keyblade techniques, but about life in general as well."

"It sounds like he had a really big influence on you," Xion comments.

"A little too big," Riku mutters bitterly. "Anyway, you know how masters of the Keyblade Arts have two alignments?"

Xion nods. "Yeah. Dark and light."

"Right," Riku says. "Well you see, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra all prided themselves in being masters of the light, but…"

Xion feels Riku's back tense and immediately begins to rub comforting circles into him.

"During the Duel of Hearts, I accidentally tapped into some dark magic," Riku confesses, and instead of judging, Xion only nods in understanding. "I always knew it was in me, and Terra always tried to help me contain it, but he himself struggled with his alignment in the past. Kairi's master Aqua told me about a time where she and Ventus had to bring him back from the dark, and they were luckily able to sway him back to the light, but the past has a funny way of repeating itself."

Xion's eyes sadden at the news. "Terra went dark again?"

Riku buries his face in his hands at the memory. "Yeah. A week after Kairi's sixteenth birthday. One day Sora, Kairi and I showed up for practice and he was just… gone. All I know is that he specifically told Aqua and Ventus that he was going to study the dark arts and warned them not to come after him again."

"I'm sorry, Riku," Xion whispers. "I understand that he was important to you."

"Certainly not anymore," Riku practically growls. "That's why I don't talk about him much. What he did… it was so selfish of him, and I hate that I probably helped bring him to that point. Fearing that I'd be just like him, I threw all his teachings away and haven't touched a keyblade since; well, not until Super Kingdom Karts, that is, but I don't intend on doing it again." Riku then shakes his head. "That coward… he didn't even say goodbye. Just left me with some stupid letter and went on his merry way."

"What did the letter say?" Xion asks.

"I don't know," Riku admits with a shrug. "I never read it. He always told me that strength of the heart could help you persevere through all things, but clearly it was all bullshit. Whatever he wrote in that letter was likely bullshit, too."

Xion frowns in disapproval. "Well what did Sora and Kairi have to say about the situation?"

"They were just as confused as I was," Riku mumbles hopelessly.

A long, contemplative silence passes, and after what feels like an emotional eternity, Xion finally taps Riku's shoulder, and after willing himself to calm down, he finally turns to look at her.

"Okay, I know this is going to sound a little strange," Xion starts, "but have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe… he left for you?"

Riku looks at Xion as if she'd spontaneously grown a second head.

"Yeah, I'm going to give that a hard no," he immediately decides.

"Just hear me out," Xion pleads. "I'm not saying that what I'm about to tell you is the absolute truth or anything, so just take it with a grain of salt. But please, just listen." When Riku fails to respond, Xion takes his silence as compliance. "Okay. Every keyblade wielder knows that one of the most difficult spells to control is fire, right?"

"Right…" Riku agrees distantly, recalling how the element seemingly had a mind of its own at first.

"So how did you eventually learn how to control it?" Xion asks, testing him.

"Through study and practice?" Riku answers, confused, but Xion snaps her fingers at the answer.

"Exactly," she says. "Do you think that maybe Terra is doing the same for you? He failed to help you contain your dark magic, so he sought to study the dark arts to understand it better for the both of you. We all have dark inside and around us, Riku, but the more you understand and accept it, the more you can control it. That's why I don't think that Terra necessarily left to go dark entirely. I doubt he'd make the same mistake twice, and it takes tremendous strength of the heart to leave."

Riku is quick to dismiss the theory with a childish huff. "No, he definitely acted out of selfishness. If that was truly his intention, he would've explained it to me himself."

"Maybe he didn't for a reason," Xion pitches. "Maybe he wanted you to experience a life without his discipline. If what you say about him and tough love is true, then maybe he has a bigger plan for you."

Riku defiantly shakes his head, still too hurt to accept the possibility that his master could still care for him after what he did.

"I've been fine without him," he mumbles, and Xion offers him a sad smile.

 _Are you really?_ she questions, but she keeps it to herself. Instead, to lighten the mood, she steers the topic away from Riku's master and onto his skill level instead.

"So what rank were you before you stopped?" she asks curiously.

An amused smirk plays at his lips at the question. "Tier three gold belt."

As expected, Xion nearly jumps from her hospital bed. "Gold three?" she repeats incredulously. "You were nearly a master!"

"Yeah," Riku answers distantly, mentally reliving some of the glory days. As much as he hated to admit it, he did miss it. Putting down his keyblade was like parting with one of his limbs.

"So what you're saying is that you could easily whoop my ass," Xion clarifies.

Riku chuckles at the words. "Yeah, probably."

And for the first time in a long time, the subject of keyblade training doesn't make him tremble like it used to.

* * *

When Sora stirs from his sleep at 2 a.m. in the morning, he's surprised to find Riku slumped over their work desk in the corner of the room with the study lamp on.

"Riku," he greets hoarsely while sitting up. "You're back."

"Yeah," the older of the two answers, his eyes fixated on what appears to be a lined sheet of paper. "Xion pretty much kicked me out and told me that I needed to sleep on an actual bed for once."

Sora rubs at his eyes to adjust to the lighting. "So why aren't you, you know, sleeping?"

"Just… finishing something up," Riku answers.

"Adding more to the teenage bucket list?" Sora questions.

"Mhm," Riku hums. "Xion's getting dispatched from the hospital tomorrow, so I figured that she could use a fun night out. Just not, you know, _too_ much fun."

"So what exactly do you have in mind for something that isn't... physically strenuous?" Sora asks mid-yawn.

Riku turns to look at Sora with his hands clasped together. "If I tell you, do you promise not to freak out or take it the wrong way?"

"I promise that I'll do my best," Sora swears with a hand over his heart.

"All right," Riku says with eyes skittish. "So I figured that because romance is a big part of teenage life, Xion should try and partake in her first kiss."

Even in the dark, Riku can make out Sora's wide, Cheshire cat-like grin.

"And how do you plan on going about that?" Sora asks, his chin resting on both of his palms.

"Well The Oathkeepers are performing at The Pier tomorrow," Riku explains, "and she's never been there before."

" _And_?" Sora asks eagerly.

" _And_ if she's ready and willing, there's a Kissing Booth there for a charity event this week," Riku answers nonchalantly, and Sora's excitement goes from one-hundred to zero real quick.

"Wait, what?" he asks incredulously. "That's not very romantic at all."

"Neither was my first kiss," Riku reminds. "Pretty sure Shiki didn't care either considering that we just made out on the school rooftop and called it quits the next day. I didn't think it was that big a deal."

"Um, it's totally a big deal," Sora corrects.

"This coming from the most lovestruck guy I know," Riku teases.

Sora crosses his arms with a huff. "Look, Shiki may not have cared, but don't you think Xion would appreciate something more… meaningful?"

"So what would you have me do about it?" Riku challenges.

"Gee, I don't know," Sora says with a fake shrug, "maybe _kiss her yourself_?"

Riku shakes his head and turns his chair the other way. "I knew I shouldn't have told you about this."

"Kairi would tell you the same thing and you know it," Sora argues. "You think Xion is special, right? Maybe not romantically, but at the very least unique."

Riku sighs. "Yes."

"Then don't you think that she deserves something memorable?" Sora asks. "It doesn't have to mean that you'll be together afterwards. It can just be a friendly kiss, but at least it would come from someone that she knows and trusts, not some stranger working at a kissing booth for the week."

"Sora, you're not looking at the consequences here," Riku reminds. "If I kissed Xion, there would be a degree of sentiment behind it considering our friendship. I know that we don't have to be together afterwards, but what if she wants to be? You know I don't do relationships. I'd only disappoint her in the end, and I don't want that for her. It's better if she just rips this like a band-aid and moves on."

With a frustrated groan, Sora defeatedly falls back into his bed and wonders if maybe, just maybe, his best friend was scared that the situation would unfold the other way around.

* * *

The following day in the Disney Castle, just as Tidus is about to join the sweepstakes winners for breakfast, Selphie suddenly pulls him into the left wing lounge and shuts the door behind them for good measure.

"Selphie," Tidus greets, though not with the same level of enthusiasm that he used to. Noting his change in behaviour, Selphie gets straight to the point.

"You need to kiss Kairi. For real this time," she warns. When Tidus turns his heel and shakes his head in response, Selphie pulls at his arm and practically growls. "Look, I know you thought you were being clever by kissing her cheek during the blitzball tournament and all, but instead of taming the beast, you've just awakened it even more."

"What are you talking about?" Tidus questions.

"Everyone wants to see more of you and Kairi now more than ever," Selphie explains while opening her tablet. "The fans demand it."

"You're making this up," Tidus insists.

"The numbers don't lie, Tidus," Selphie says while showing him the online polls for Teenage Wasteland. In regards to pairings, Tidus and Kairi were winning by a landslide, but what also surprises him are the high votes for Sora and Riku as well as Axel and Roxas. And was that… Sora and Roxas, too? Weren't they, like, related?

"If you leave her now, not only will you disappoint an entire island of teenagers and online viewers," Selphie starts, "but I'll make sure that both your relationship with Yuna and flawless reputation will suffer. You can pretty much kiss the Zanarkand Abes goodbye."

Tidus' fists clench at the threat. Selphie really knew which chords to strike with him. First Yuna, and now the Zanarkand Abes? If he didn't comply now, he'd very well be losing everything he ever actually cared about.

"Fine," he says through gritted teeth. "I'll see what I can do."

Selphie only pats his head in response. "Good boy."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Naminé and Pence arrive at the Artist's Alley venue: a newly renovated warehouse on the west side of the island where young artists from different worlds begin to set up their galleries and tables.

"Thanks again for helping me set up, Pence," Naminé thanks as Pence begins to unload her canvases from the back of the golf cart they'd taken. "Roxas was actually supposed to help me, but…"

"Don't worry Naminé, I understand," Pence says. "Besides, I was going to attend anyways. I don't mind coming a few hours early to set up."

With a grateful nod, Naminé carries a few boxes of various prints and begins to lug them inside. An hour of set up later, Naminé glances at her watch for what feels like the hundredth time, and Pence notices.

"He'll be here," he says reassuringly. "Don't worry."

Naminé only smiles nervously in return.

* * *

At the The Pier amusement park, fans of the Oathkeepers cheer loudly as the band finishes off their last (or at least what was _supposed_ to be their last) song and plead for an encore when the lead singer takes his bow. At the sound of thousands of chanting teenagers, Roxas, now dressed in a new Oathkeeper-branded bomber jacket, anxiously rubs the back of his head and turns around to seek advice from his fellow bandmates.

"Well, we _are_ five minutes ahead of schedule," Sora points out after glancing at his watch, "but it's up to you if you want to use that time to get a head start on getting to your lady."

"Oh come on," Axel chimes. "Don't deny the fans, Rox. Sora even said it himself: we're five minutes ahead. Even if we do one more song we'll still be on schedule."

After some thought, Roxas nods at his best friend in agreement. It certainly sounded like the win-win option. Their fans would be satisfied, and he could still get to Naminé on time. Surely one encore presentation couldn't hurt.

* * *

Forty-five minutes into the opening of Artist's Alley, Roxas hastily parks his golf cart at the back of the venue and enters the warehouse through the back. After creeping through a half-opened door, he immediately finds his girlfriend sitting at a table in front of her gallery directly to his right. After clearing his throat and dusting off his shirt, he slowly walks over and takes the empty seat beside her.

"Hey," he greets softly. "I'm so sorry I'm late. One encore became two, two became three, and next thing you know we were signing autographs for everyone and selling all the merchandise."

Naminé, who looks as if she's been sulking all night, slowly turns towards her boyfriend.

"It's okay," she says wearily. "You weren't missing much anyways."

It's then that he notices how empty her gallery is in comparison to the others. While the galleries of other artists were bustling with life, Naminé's felt completely deserted.

"Maybe I didn't deserve to be here after all," Naminé says while leaning into her palm. "I know I shouldn't be basing my skill level on the approval of others, but this is pretty disheartening."

Roxas nearly falls out of his seat at her lack of confidence. How silly of Naminé to think that she was untalented. "You think that people aren't coming to your gallery because you're not good enough?" he asks for she nods, Roxas defiantly shakes his head. "Did you ever consider that it's because whoever set up this event gave you the shittiest spot in the venue?"

Naminé blinks twice at the possibility. Now that she thought about it, she _was_ on the complete opposite side of the entrance, and gallery #43 _was_ tucked away in a corner…

In the middle of the realization, Roxas begins to get up from his seat, but Naminé desperately grabs at his arm to stop him.

"Roxas, no," she pleads, sensing his determination to help. "Don't make a scene. If people are going to be interested in my art, I want it to be because they appreciate my talent, not because Roxas Akiyama told them to like it."

Roxas' heart clenches at her words. On one hand, he admired how passionate she was about her craft, but on the other, it pained him to admit that she was right. With his growing influence, he couldn't help her as the lead singer of The Oathkeepers. In the middle of his brainstorming, his eyes then land on a gallery filled entirely with paintings and crafts of eyeglasses, and he smirks as an idea comes to him.

"I'll be right back," he assures his girlfriend with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Roxas," Naminé warns.

"Tonight is your night," he reminds with a charming grin. "Just trust me."

For a few moments, Naminé watches with confusion as her boyfriend pulls his hood over his head and sneaks over to a nearby gallery. With swift, calculated movements, he steals a pair of thick-rimmed glasses from one of the displays when the artist isn't looking and throws them on. He then tiptoes over to another gallery displaying scarves and throws one over his neck. When Roxas returns five minutes later, he sports a black sports coat over his shoulders and a fedora over his head alongside the other items he'd stolen.

"Roxas, what are you doing?" Naminé asks while holding back a laugh at his appearance.

Instead of answering her question, Roxas cranes his head to the side and finds Pence just turning the corner with his camera in hand.

"Psst, Pence!" he whispers, and the photographer approaches him with skittish eyes. Sensing his confusion, Roxas lowers his fake glasses with a wink. "It's me, Roxas."

"H-hey," Pence greets awkwardly. "What's with the hipster getup?"

"Just follow my lead," Roxas whispers while leading them towards one of Naminé's paintings. After clearing his throat, he begins to speak in an obnoxiously loud voice. "Fifty munny? Why, I'm willing to pay one hundred munny for this piece! Can't you see the amount of care that the artist put into choosing the colour palette? I can practically _feel_ their misery!"

When a few heads turn at Roxas' random outburst, Naminé begins to squirm in her seat, and it takes Pence a few moments to catch Roxas' drift.

"Colour palette?" the photographer starts. "Why, look at the brush strokes! They clearly express the artist's inner turmoil. I'm increasing my bid to one-hundred and fifty munny!"

"Two hundred!" Roxas insists.

"Two fifty!" Pence challenges.

"Three hundred!" Roxas fights back.

Naminé's eyes widen when a few curious whispers slowly transition into a small audience making their way to her gallery. When it becomes far less deserted than it once was, Roxas and Pence begin to spread the word elsewhere.

"Did you see the gallery at station forty-three?" Roxas pretends to whisper as he and Pence walk towards the front entrance. "Amazing!"

When the two boys return to Naminé's gallery ten minutes later, the artist finds herself surrounded by nearly everyone present at the event. She answers not only questions, but praise, constructive criticism, and requests to purchase her work. From afar, Roxas watches her with the same endearment she'd expressed towards him backstage. Much like how she exposed his musical talents to the world, he'd gladly do the same for her art.

Moments later, when the crowd eventually dies down and Naminé finally has a brief moment to thank her boyfriend for his efforts, she pulls him into a heartfelt embrace and offers him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, with a playful giggle, she adjusts his glasses.

"You know, you look kinda cute with these," she comments.

Roxas only smirks at the compliment as he sets his hands on her waist. "Maybe I should wear them more often then."

* * *

Back at the Pier, the remainder of the band and their friends begin to part ways backstage.

"Well, that's the last of all the merchandise," Kairi says as they close up the cash till. "I didn't think we'd have to make another order so soon. Luckily it won't take too long to get another shipment in."

"I still can't believe we sold everything!" Sora exclaims. "We might have to expand shop at this rate."

"Or take it online," Olette suggests. "We do have the manpower to make a website."

"I consider myself multilingual," Hayner says while proudly poking at his own chest. "You know, if you count coding languages."

"Well then hop to it nerds," Axel encourages jokingly. "I, however, will be spending the night with some lovely ladies." At the sight of a few giggling fan girls behind him, the drummer decides to take his leave with a playful salute. "See ya."

When the redhead passes Xion and Riku, the former hangs her head low when her supposed older brother walks by her as if she were invisible. Riku notices and places a supportive arm around her shoulders.

"So where's everyone off to?" Sora asks when the somewhat tense moment subsides.

"Sorry Sora, but I promised Tidus that I'd spend some time with him tonight," Kairi apologizes.

"That's cool," Sora insists while throwing his hands behind his back. "I was gonna hang with Hayner anyways. Still down for a bro's night?"

"Sure am," Hayner answers. Then, while scratching at the back of his head, "But if it's alright with you, do you mind if I bring in an honorary bro?"

At the words 'honorary bro', Olette offers Sora a small wave.

Sora only outstretches his arms in response. "Welcome, Brother Olette!"

When everyone disperses, Kairi quickly pulls Riku aside by the arm and lowers him to her level.

"Sora told me what you're up to," she whispers aggressively.

Riku releases himself from her grip and crosses his arms with a scoff. "Of course he did."

"I know that ultimately you'll be the one to decide, but you better not mess this one up, Riku," Kairi advises.

"Sure," Riku says noncommittally.

From afar, Sora quickly turns around and targets an "I'm watching you" gesture towards him when Xion isn't looking, and Riku only rolls his eyes in response. When his two best friends are finally out of sight, Riku turns around to find Xion looking up at him with curious eyes. He tries not to notice how naturally pleasant she looks now that she could willingly walk outside of the castle walls without a disguise.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" she asks.

For reasons Riku can't fathom, his cheeks heat up at his plans, but he immediately shakes his head and tells himself that he's being ridiculous.

"Uh, I did have something in mind," he confesses, "but it can wait until after we go on some rides. Sound good?"

"Sounds good to me," Xion says while boldly pulling at Riku's arm and leading him towards a nearby roller coaster. "Let's go!"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Riku says while standing his ground. "Are you insane? We _cannot_ go on any thrill rides. You just had a concussion."

"Key word _had_ ," Xion argues playfully.

"Look, I won't be that guy who dictates your every move," Riku says while raising his hands in surrender, "but I really do advise against this."

Pleased that he was actually willing to give her a choice, Xion sighs and eventually nods in agreement. "You're right. Maybe another time then. What do you propose we do then?" When Riku points at the slow paced skyliner gondola passing above them, Xion crosses her arms with a slight frown. "Fine."

When the two board one of the gondolas, the first few minutes of the ride are spent in a comfortable silence. From their altitude, the entire park comes into view, and the sight of all the colourful lights against the night sky is breathtaking. Their sights then zero in on Sora, Hayner and Olette at a carnival game below. While Hayner fails miserably at tossing a baseball into an angled basket, Olette calculates her arc perfectly and manages to sink the ball inside without fail. When the vendor hands Olette a Moogle plush for her victory, she notices Hayner's grumpy expression and hands the prize to him instead. When he accepts it with an embarrassed blush, Sora laughs at the scene from a few feet away.

After a mutual chuckle, Riku and Xion then pass Axel, who appears to be flexing for his fangirls at the frisbee toss station, and Kairi, who just happens to meet up with Tidus by the Ferris wheel. When the gondola passes the peak of the roller coaster that Xion had nearly dragged Riku on, he notices her eyeing the ride with fascination.

"So have you ever been on a roller coaster?" Riku asks as they watch another batch of teenagers drop from the peak with screams.

"Nope," Xion confesses, "but I figured that it would be like go karting without the driving. Am I wrong?"

Riku mulls over her words with a slight nod. "Not entirely. Think like that, but just imagine not being able to breathe for a few seconds—but in a totally exhilarating way."

"Sounds like something I'd want to feel," Xion jokes while pushing away a few stray strands of hair from her face. When the blur of lights hit her just right, Riku finds himself eyeing her pouty lips, thinking that she could achieve that same feeling of falling just with a simple peck. His first kiss may not have been much, but he could still recall the exhilaration that came with the first one.

Riku then examines his surroundings and inwardly sighs. The current scenery would have fit perfectly into Sora and Kairi's ideal of romance, but he wouldn't do it. He couldn't. Not when he only ever kissed girls with the intention of being with them for a short while, and he wouldn't do that to Xion. At least with a stranger there would be far less attachment, far less commitment, and that would be best.

When their ride eventually comes to an end, the two disembark on the other side of the park, and after succumbing to the incredibly oily but beyond delicious funnel cake, Xion eagerly asks Riku what he had in mind for the night. To avoid any potential verbal awkwardness, Riku only unfolds the teenage bucket list from his pockets and raises it for Xion to read. Luckily he'd highlighted the activity the night prior and didn't need to say a thing for Xion to get the message.

When the words _First Kiss_ finally come into focus and sink in, Xion's heart drops to her stomach and her face turns about as red as a tomato. Never in a hundred years did she expect to be in this position with Riku of all people. If someone told her past self that she'd find herself in this predicament a few weeks into the summer, she'd probably laugh and tell them they were crazy.

"U-um…" she finally stammers, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "H-how do you suppose we accomplish that?"

Riku wordlessly points at the Kissing Booth behind her.

"Oh," she says simply, and if there was even the slightest twinge of disappointment, Riku tries not to notice it.

"I figured that we needed to try something less strenuous on the bucket list," he explains, "and since awkward romances are pretty much inevitable during our teenage years, I thought this would be a good way to kill two birds with one stone. But if you're uncomfortable with it, we totally don't have to go through with it."

"No," Xion says while eyeing the booth for quite some time. "You're right. This is something that I need to experience."

Riku steps back at her response. He certainly wasn't expecting her to agree to it so soon.

"Wait, really?" he asks incredulously. "Are you sure? I realize that it's not the most ideal way to go about it, but…"

Sensing his discomfort, Xion places a hand on his shoulder. "Really, I'm fine. No big deal. It's just a kiss, right? Besides, it's all for charity."

Riku laughs nervously at the words. "Right. No big deal."

A few minutes later, when Xion reaches the front of the rather short lineup, Riku stiffens at the sight of some random teenage boy on the small stage using some mouth spray with a haughty grin on his face. The teenager in charge of the funds calls Xion up, and after handing them an appropriate amount of munny, she takes a deep intake of breath and walks up the steps.

She takes her rightful place center stage, the red curtains behind her dancing lightly with the wind, and looks like a deer stuck in headlights under the bright spotlights. Her supposed male companion then walks up to her with little to no enthusiasm, almost as if Xion's presence didn't faze him in the slightest, and looks at her with a neutral expression.

From the sidelines, Riku begins to feel something unpleasant stirring in his chest. Something about the situation felt almost… wrong. His first kiss may not have been much, but at least there was a mutual want for it. This random guy didn't even _look_ like he wanted to be around Xion, let alone kiss her. Did he not realize that he was standing in front of one of the most resilient teenagers that Riku had the pleasure of knowing?

As much as it pained him to admit it, Sora was right (for once). Xion did deserve better. She, at the very least, deserved someone who cared.

But who else could do it? Certainly not Axel. He was, in every emotional sense, her older brother figure, and Roxas was clearly out of the question. After some thought, Riku sighs when the realization finally sinks in.

It had to be him.

They may not have had that "years of friendship" foundation, but he knew her. He knew enough to be considered her friend, but certainly not enough to be anything more. He was the perfect median. The in-between. It would be easy, he thinks. He'd kissed plenty of girls before without feeling any sort of romantic attachment for them. Xion would be no different. It was just as she said earlier: it was just a kiss. No big deal.

So without any room for hesitation, Riku swiftly walks up onto the stage, pulls Random Guy aside before he can lean in any further, and presses his lips onto Xion's.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter Inspirations:** The song that The Oathkeepers performed at the Pier was (I Can't) Forget About You by R5. It always gave me a "summer night at the amusement park" sort of vibe. 

**A/N:** Lo and behold, the supposed Hayner bashing actually had a purpose! Did any of you figure out that Olette was a tasty meatball?


	16. sparks

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XVI | sparks

* * *

At first, the kiss is exactly what Riku expects: soft, light, a little wet, just as all first kisses felt. This part was no big deal. This he could handle.

But it's when Xion's soft, yet shy lips move against his in almost… _curiosity_ that Riku begins to feel something stirring in his chest. A spark, the kind that he'd only felt with his first kiss, resurfaces and ignites his entire body despite the fact that he thought such passion was extinguished a long time ago (at least, what he considered long in his eighteen years of existence). He begins to feel warm all over, as if fire was rushing through his veins, and the feeling entices him to deepen the kiss and pull her close.

He instinctively reaches for her cheek, and while his hand successfully makes contact with the side of her face, Xion suddenly pulls away as if it burned, as if she _just_ realized what was happening, and the warm, fluttery feeling leaves with her. Riku immediately decides that he is hesitant to part with it, but Xion runs in the other direction before he can take action.

"Xion, wait!" he hollers desperately, but her retreating figure is already far, far away.

On the other side of the amusement park, Kairi and Tidus just reach the front of the Ferris wheel lineup, but instead of looking impressed, the former looks almost suspicious at the latter's choice.

"This is awfully romantic," she points out teasingly with skittish eyes.

With the thought of Selphie's threats in his head, Tidus only laughs nervously at the observation to mask his anxiousness and hops onto the next vacant gondola. After situating himself into one of the seats, he graciously extends his hand out towards her.

To any other teenage girl seeking a summer romance, it was a dreamy sight: Tidus Clearwater, the best and most charming blitzball fielder in the league, with his hand outstretched and sporting his signature grin to boot. Kairi, however, would stay grounded. He was her platonic companion for the summer, so she naively interprets and accepts the gesture as such and takes the vacant seat across from him. The ride begins to move, and they slowly find themselves making their way to the top.

For Kairi, the first half of the ride passes in peaceful bliss. With the colourful lights reflecting in her irises and the wind in her hair, she surrenders to the cliché and throws her arms up, breathing in the refreshing summer air and feeling it in her lungs. From their altitude, she sees the island in an entirely different light, and it's far more colourful than the view from her bedroom.

Finally, her summer vacation was starting to work out the way she wanted it to. She and Sora were in a good place, Riku was starting to open up and let his guard down, Olette was letting loose, her arrangement with Tidus was going smoothly, and despite some rocky relationships here and there in the castle, everyone (with the exception of Axel and Riku) was getting along quite well all things considered, especially for Xion's sake. Despite all the difficulties, Kingdom Hearts Island Resort was still a dream, and they were only nearing the halfway point. There was still so much to do and so much to accomplish together.

For Tidus, however, the resort was pretty much haunted. Much had changed since the beginning of the summer, and he wasn't quite sure who he was anymore. Deep down, he at least knew that he wasn't the kind of guy that kissed other girls and homewrecked just to boost ratings on a reality show; the kind of guy that didn't respect a girl's boundaries; the kind of guy that spent all his time wrongfully wooing another girl when his heart _clearly_ belonged to someone else…

Tidus fists clench as he reflects on his current situation. Somewhere along the way, through Selphie's manipulative and strategic scheming, he supposed he really _did_ become that guy.

 _But for good reason,_ he reminds himself, thinking of all the things he could regain just by a simple peck and lose if he didn't pull through. So with that in mind, he sits tight with his mission clear and waits for the right moment to strike. When the Ferris wheel conveniently stops with him and Kairi at the top, he finds it. This _had_ to be planned by Selphie, so without a moment's hesitation, he clears his throat, watches as Kairi turns to him with curiosity, and firmly presses his lips against hers.

The sudden contact takes Kairi aback, something that could easily be seen through her widened eyes, but instead of immediately pulling away in discomfort, Kairi waits for a spark that never comes. If this were some cheesy teenage drama, this would be the part where the fireworks would shoot out into the sky because of the long-awaited kiss, but Kairi can't help but feel herself transporting back in time instead; back to a similar soundscape of screaming teenagers and ocean waves; back to when times were seemingly easier; back to when she'd shared her very first kiss.

* * *

**Destiny Islands, one year ago, 9:35PM**

Off the coast of the main island, sixteen-year-old Sora swims a grand total of about fifty meters out before the tip of his hand reaches the edge of a familiar wooden dock. He swims to its side, feeling for the rails of a metal ladder as he had for years, and pokes his head out from the water when he finds it. He climbs aboard the small square-shaped dock built by his and Riku's father when they were kids, and as expected, he finds fifteen-year-old Kairi (a week and a half away from sixteen) sitting on the edge dressed in a pale pink swimsuit, her gaze fixed on the shoreline.

"Hey," he greets after vigorously shaking like a wet dog. He takes the seat next to her, their shoulders just touching, and lets his feet dangle off the edge.

"Hey yourself," she says back, dipping her toes into the water ever so slightly. Back on the shore, the place is littered with teenagers participating in all sorts of shenanigans, most of which laugh and dance around a large bonfire with sparklers in hand while others drank and launched amateur fireworks into the night sky. One of the juniors in Riku's year was hosting yet another "end of school year" beach party (which technically made no sense since exams were still next week, but classes were over, nonetheless), but as the best friends of swim team captain Riku Kenbishi and sophomores on the varsity swim and volleyball teams, Sora and Kairi were able to receive extended invitations.

"So…" Kairi starts, feeling a change in the air between her and Sora upon hearing some interesting news. "Did you hear what happened to Ephemer's car?"

Sora turns absolutely red at the question and hopes that it's dark enough for Kairi not to notice.

Precisely three days ago, junior and tennis team captain Ephemer Evans had asked Kairi out on her very first date. Much to Sora (and Riku's) surprise, she'd accepted, and Sora had nearly broken a pencil in class upon finding out. He'd somehow managed to contain his jealousy for two days (much to Kairi's secret amusement), but on Friday night, the night Kairi was supposed to be picked up for her date at 7 p.m., Ephemer had discovered that his car had been paintballed all over, and the two never ended up going out.

The identity of the random paintballer remained a mystery to everyone that attended Destiny Islands High School, but not to Sora. He knew precisely who did it, and that was only because that "who" was him.

To be fair, he really tried to hold back (Riku could attest to this), but seriously though. Ephemer _freaking_ Evans? Really? He was a nice guy, but… _really_?

Back on the dock, Sora gulps and plays it like he's totally oblivious. "Yeah, I did hear about that. I'm sorry. You were supposed to go out with him that night, right?"

Kairi surprisingly shakes her head. "No. I actually turned him down the day before."

Sora nearly falls off the dock at the new piece of information. Well that certainly changed things. If she never intended on going out with him that night, then…

Sora gulps—harder this time. He'd paintballed Ephemer's car for no reason.

 _Well crap,_ Sora thinks, but he keeps his guilt to himself.

"So, uh… why did you turn him down?" Sora decides to ask while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hmm," Kairi hums, and Sora doesn't fail to notice that her idle kicking increases in pace. "Well, to be honest, I rejected him because I... have feelings for someone else, and that would've been unfair to Ephemer. So I decided against it and cancelled our date."

Sora feels his heart still at the words. Kairi _liked_ someone, and he didn't know?

"How come you never told me or Riku that you had feelings for someone?" Sora asks, unable to tame his curiosity.

Kairi then turns to face him, her eyes sharp but not menacing. "How come you never told me that you paintballed Ephemer's car?"

Sora's jaw drops at the accusation. He never was a good liar, and Kairi was terribly observant. He may have had the rest of the student body fooled, but not his best friends.

"H… how did you know it was me?" Sora squeaks.

Kairi giggles at the mortified look on his face. He was always so transparent, but she actually admired that about him. "Sora, there were Nerf bullets at the scene, and I only know one teenage boy with that weapon of choice."

Sora dramatically buries his face in his hands. "Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I should've just picked those up when I realized they weren't going to cut it."

Kairi openly laughs at his misery and pats his bare shoulder in response.

"So tell me," she says when her laughter dies down, forcing the confession upon him once again, "why'd you do it?"

Sora's heart drops at the question, because he knew it was at this very moment that he couldn't hide the way he felt about Kairi anymore. For years he'd kept his crush on her a secret in fears that she wouldn't feel the same way and that their friendship would somehow suffer, but there was no stopping the strength of his emotions—not when she was the bravest, smartest, most caring, and not to mention prettiest person he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing and befriending. He'd paintballed Ephemer's car because he liked her (goodness, he really liked her) and couldn't bear the thought of her going out with another guy, and there was no other way of putting it. There was only the truth, and boy was it terrifying.

"I…" Sora starts, his voice shaky. "I was really hesitant to tell you this because I was scared that it would ruin our friendship, but... it seems like I have no choice now, so…"

To emotionally prepare himself, Sora takes a deep intake of breath and braces himself for the impact.

 _Here goes everything_ , he thinks.

"I like you, Kairi," Sora confesses while placing a warm hand overtop hers, and Kairi blushes at both the confession and the intimate gesture. "M-more than a friend. That's why I paintballed Ephemer's car. As selfish as it sounds, I want you all to myself, and I was afraid that I was going to lose you to him. I know I shouldn't have done it, but the thought of someone else having you, I just… I couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

And where Sora expects the most awkward silence of his life, he receives the biggest smile he's ever seen Kairi smile instead. In Kairi's mind, she probably looked like a total idiot, but that didn't matter. It may have come at the price of someone's car sporting a new paint job (sorry Ephemer), but Sora had just declared his feelings for her, and that was all that mattered. The corner of her lips raise at what she'd suspected, didn't know for sure, but now knew for certain.

Sora liked her.

He _liked_ her.

And she liked him (goodness, she really liked him).

They liked _each other_.

She finds herself so relieved that she can't think straight, but she gathers her bearings when she feels Sora's hand squeeze her own.

"Kairi?" Sora asks, his tone concerned, but hopeful.

"I…" Kairi starts while placing her free hand overtop his. "I'm actually really glad you told me that."

"O-oh?" Sora asks, his heart rate increasing tenfold at what her words might've implied. "And why is that?"

And she gives him a look that he _knows_ he'll never forget: bright-eyed, beautiful, and beyond happy.

"Because I like you, too, Sora," she answers.

And this time, Sora really does fall off the dock.

"Oh my God, Sora!" Kairi shrieks. She immediately gets up and prepares herself for a dive, but before she can jump into the water herself, Sora's head resurfaces.

"I'm sorry," he says breathlessly. "Can you just... say that again?"

Kairi covers her mouth in disbelief, but she eventually lets out a giggle when she realizes that he's actually okay and is just as shocked (if not more) as she was.

"I like you, Sora," she tells him, her voice unwavering.

"Again," he orders softly while grabbing onto the edge of the dock.

"Sora, I like you," she says, lowering herself to try and level with him.

"You like me," he repeats, tasting the words. "So you, and I, and we, and you…" he says in between slow, deep breaths. "We like each other?" he finally squeaks.

"I… I guess so," Kairi concludes, her wide smile still very evident on her face.

Sora nearly melts. "Wow. I wasn't expecting that answer."

"Yeah, I can tell," Kairi chuckles.

"Have you always known that I liked you?" Sora asks. "I mean, was it that obvious?"

"I had my suspicions," Kairi admits, recalling the frequent glances she'd caught him stealing during class and the constant need to outdo Riku to impress her over the years, "but I didn't want to assume. In any case, I'm still really glad that you confirmed how you felt about me, though. I've been wondering for ages."

"Honestly that was probably the most terrifying moment of my life," Sora confesses shakily, "but…" Kairi catches him eyeing her hand, and she outstretches it towards him without question. "It was also the most rewarding," he tells her while taking her hand in his, and the two blush at the warmth that radiates from the contact. A few moments in, Sora's grip on Kairi's hand suddenly tightens, and she knows what he's getting at.

"Come here," Sora demands softly, and Kairi giggles as he pulls her into the water. Her entire body submerges for a few seconds, but when her head resurfaces, she finds Sora looking at her with a soft, loving expression and his arms outstretched. Their hands effortlessly find one another's, and the two hold onto each other as they tread, feeling as if they were floating far above the clouds. Sora then gives her a light tug, pulling her closer, and Kairi's cheeks flare up at the close proximity. She feels him inch his face closer to hers, and she closes her eyes in response.

"Am I really about to kiss my best friend?" she whispers, emotionally preparing herself for something she'd wanted for quite some time now, but couldn't wrap her head around because _it was actually happening_.

At her question, Sora stops his advances. "That depends… do you want me to?" he asks, seeking permission.

She presses her forehead against his, drowning in his hypnotic blue eyes, and nods.

"Yes," she answers without hesitation, and Sora smiles, immediately leaning in closer.

"Wait, you're actually going to?" Kairi asks, still preparing herself. Sora nods slowly. "I should just stop talking and let you do it, huh?" Kairi then asks.

"Mhm," Sora says, leaning in to close the gap between them.

It is the clumsiest, wettest feeling in the world, but simultaneously their best moment yet. For a few blissful moments the two soar amongst the clouds, not wanting to come down. Finally, after years of shy glances, countless blushes, and times of uncertainty, their feelings were out in the open. They no longer needed to hold back in fears of ruining their friendship, and the relief hits them both at the same time when they smile into each other's lips. The two soar higher and higher, succumbing to the exhilarating spark and defying gravity, but the sound of someone swimming up to them forces them back to reality sooner than they'd like. With much hesitation, the two pull away from each other with a sigh.

Sora and Kairi knew only one other person that could possibly locate the dock in the dark, so it comes as no surprise to them when Riku eventually shows up, breathless and concerned.

"I heard screaming," the oldest of the three reasons. "Everything okay?"

Sora and Kairi share a look and giggle amongst themselves as they recall the former falling off the dock in shock only minutes ago because of the latter's confession, but the two assure Riku that there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

"We're fine," Sora answers while treading. His hand grazes Kairi's, and he wastes no time intertwining their hands together underwater, squeezing tight.

"Perfectly fine," Kairi adds happily, squeezing right back.

* * *

Back in the present, at the top of the Ferris wheel, Kairi tunes back in just as Tidus asks if she's all right.

"Huh?" she asks, trying to collect herself. She then shakes her head, pushing the memory to the back of her head, and tells herself that it's all in the past now.

"I'm sorry if that caught you off guard," Tidus apologizes. "I know we agreed to keep things casual between us, but I just couldn't help it."

"It's… okay," Kairi responds slowly, unsure what to make of the foreign feeling of having Tidus' lips pressed against hers. Back with Sora, she knew with absolutely certainty that she'd wanted him to kiss her, but she couldn't say the same for the boy sitting across from her now. The kiss wasn't bad, per se, just… lacking in spark.

"Sorry if I'm acting weird," Kairi then says to dismiss any suspicions. "I'm just… processing."

"That's understandable," Tidus says, but Kairi can see the disappointment in his forced smile as the wheel begins to move again.

If the first half of their ride passed with peaceful bliss, the second half passed with much confusion and uncertainty. If kisses were supposed to make people feel like they were defying gravity, why did she feel like she'd just been pulled down?

* * *

At a nearby carnival game, Sora watches as Kairi and Tidus get off the Ferris wheel with misty eyes. He'd clearly seen what happened when the ride had stopped, and his heart had clenched at the sight of Tidus Clearwater leaning in to kiss Kairi for two reasons:

One, it should've been _him_ leaning in to kiss Kairi, not Tidus.

And two, in the grand scheme of things, that kiss was probably just another part of Selphie's ploy to boost the ratings of Teenage Wasteland, and Kairi didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve some fake televised kiss. She deserved something real from someone who genuinely cared about her, and that someone was _not_ Tidus Clearwater. All Sora could hope for now was that her emotional investment in Tidus hadn't increased because of that kiss, otherwise it would hurt far more when she found out that she was but a pawn on Selphie's chessboard.

"Hey," Sora hears Hayner say behind him. "Everything okay, Sora?"

"Huh?" Sora asks, snapping out of his trance. "Oh, right." It's then that he recalls that he was in the middle of joining both Hayner and Olette in another game. This time, however, despite the high entertainment value the first few times, he isn't in the mood to watch Olette best Hayner yet again. "Um, if you guys don't mind, I think I'm going to start heading back." Then, in a secretive whisper, "And I know you want your alone time with Olette, so I'll quit being a third wheel."

Completely oblivious to Sora's real reason for wanting to leave, Hayner claps Sora on the back in appreciation.

"Thanks bro," he says, and as he runs back to Olette at the closest booth, Sora throws his hands into the pockets of his jeans and languidly makes his way out with his head hung low.

Just as he crosses the threshold of the exit, Sora surprisingly finds Riku leaning against the rails of the boardwalk, staring off into the distance with his back hunched.

"What's up with you?" Sora asks, joining him without hesitation.

Riku immediately notices the forlorn look on his best friend's face and returns the question. "You first."

Sora grips the rails and sighs heavily in response. "Tidus and Kairi kissed."

Riku flinches. He suddenly finds himself back by the bonfire of last year's "end of school year" beach party, watching as Sora and Kairi returned back to shore after what seemed like an eternity. He'd immediately noticed that they walked in much closer proximity to each other, and they were awfully giggly.

" _So what really happened?" Riku had asked Sora knowingly, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised while Kairi ran off to grab a towel._

" _Dude," Sora started dreamily, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. "We kissed."_

Riku could still vividly recall the pain that immediately washed over him at that moment. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd always known that Sora had won over Kairi's heart, and even though he was genuinely happy for them, that didn't stop the physical and verbal confirmation from feeling like a thundaga spell ripping through his chest.

That was, however, all in the past. Back in the present, he'd let Kairi go, but he of all people could understand how Sora must have felt now. He places a supportive hand on his best friend's shoulder and offers him his sympathy.

"That's rough, bro," he musters, aching for him.

"I'm…" Sora starts hoarsely, recalling his promise to both Riku and Kairi not to meddle, "trying to be okay about it though. Key word trying."

Riku's eyebrows visibly raise in surprise. "That's awfully mature of you."

Sora flashes him a teasing grin. "Yeah, it is awful."

The two chuckle sadly at the lame joke.

"But I guess," Sora continues, his voice distant, "the only bright side is that they're not officially together or anything, so I still have time to sway Kairi back in the right direction."

"The right direction being you?" Riku questions.

"The right direction being anywhere but Tidus Clearwater," Sora clarifies. Then, with a nonchalant shrug, "But you know, me preferably."

Riku only shakes his head with a half-hearted laugh.

"All right," Sora says while nudging his shoulder. "Your turn."

It's Riku's turn to grip the rails. "I… I kissed Xion."

Sora's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. Being the oldest and supposedly wisest of the three, it was very unlike Riku to actually take Sora and Kairi's advice, so this was _huge_.

"And?" Sora asks, the anticipation just about killing him.

"She ran away," Riku answers flatly.

Sora's shoulders deflate. "Oh."

Riku lets out a fake laugh in response. "It's funny: when I give you girl advice and you actually listen, you keep the girl, but when I listen to your girl advice, she runs away in the opposite direction."

"How did it feel though?" Sora challenges with narrowed eyes.

Riku sighs as he recalls Xion's lips briefly moving against his.

"Different," he confesses truthfully. Exhilarating was more like it, but he keeps that part to himself. "A good different. I'm not sure why, but it was unlike anything I've felt before."

"Perhaps that's because you actually worked for it," Sora points out. "You got to know the girl and took the time to appreciate her. That's why it felt so rewarding."

"Not sure if I would call this feeling rewarding," Riku argues cheekily.

"For now. Later, it will be," Sora assures hopefully. Then, after a warm breeze passes, "So... what are you going to do about it?"

Riku sighs and runs a hand through his silver locks. "I don't know. Pursue how I feel? Forget about her entirely? Seems like a double-edged sword if you ask me."

"Well where do you want to be with her relationship-wise?" Sora asks, trying to slow down his best friend's racing thoughts by taking baby steps. "Let's figure that out first."

"Well I know I want to continue being her friend," Riku confesses, "but at the same time, after that kiss, I'm not sure if I want to be just that. But… given my track record, I'm also not sure if I'm the type of guy that can just change from one kiss and say that I'm ready to be in a committed relationship; however... I'd at least like the opportunity to try and see where we could go."

"Hmm," Sora hums, tapping his chin as he puts the pieces together. "So at the very least, you don't want to lose her."

Riku reflects on the words and nods. He at least knew that much. That much was certain. "Yeah."

"So why don't you tell her that and see where it goes?" Sora suggests. "You can decide how you feel and what you want as much as you want, but there's another party involved in this relationship. Her decision will ultimately decide what you'll be, and you'll have to respect that. If it's to be just friends, then okay. If it's to test the waters for romance, great. If it's to stay out of her life completely, still respect it, but if she's worth it, you keep fighting where you can."

Riku lets out a slow, deep breath at the outcomes. In the beginning of the summer, his trajectory was so clear: work at the resort to make some munny for med school, hang out with his best buds, participate in a few fun but meaningless flings, then head off to college. But now, because of the girl at the end of the hallway, he somehow ended up in Sora's shoes: pining for some extraordinary girl that may or may not want to be in a relationship with him, but hoping for the chance that maybe, just maybe, she would.

To be fair though, he did bring this upon himself with the creation of the teenage bucket list, so he couldn't blame the universe entirely.

"Look," Sora continues, "I know you've built this defense mechanism around your heart so that you wouldn't have to feel heartbreak ever again, but in doing so, you've also blocked your heart off to the possibility of feeling real joy again."

"Is this supposed to be real joy?" Riku asks teasingly. "Because it doesn't really feel like it."

Sora shakes his head. "No. But the joy you've experienced with her on the resort so far… isn't that worth fighting for? No matter what you two are?"

Riku reflects on the events that had transpired from the moment he'd accidentally stumbled upon Xion in her room and found out about her geostigma. Since then the memories had ranged from happy to sad, surprising to inspiring, light to heavy, but they'd gotten through it all together, and Riku had been genuinely moved by their conversations. So to answer Sora's question….

"Yes," Riku decides after a contemplative session. "It is worth fighting for. But… I guess I'll just have to wait and see what she chooses first."

"It might take some time," Sora continues, "but it'll be worth it. Just trust me."

Riku almost laughs at the words. Sora, the ever optimistic one. The girl he loved had just kissed another guy, and yet even he still retained hope. His unyielding light may have bordered insanity at times, but it was one of the things that so greatly inspired him during times of adversity.

And in all honesty, he _could_ trust him that all this confusion and uncertainty could be worth it. They were only a few weeks into the summer, and he could already see Sora growing emotionally and Kairi growing closer to him again. Perhaps he was right and that there was hope for him yet.

"Thanks Sora," Riku then says graciously, feeling as if he'd just helped him off the ground after a long and brutal Keyblade training session. "I don't know how, but we'll get through this together."

Sora raises his hand for a diagonal fist bump in response: a trademark move patented by the Destiny Islands trio throughout their many years of friendship.

"Always," Sora responds, and Riku returns the fist bump. "Man," Sora then says amidst the silence, their forearms still touching, "this is going to make all the SoRiku fans from the Oathkeeper fanbase go crazy."

Riku merely shrugs. "Well, we're too far deep now. Want to seal the deal with a bro hug?"

Sora immediately outstretches his arms. "Hell yeah, bring it in."

* * *

Back at the Disney Castle, Sora and Riku walk into an interesting scene at the lobby. On the left hand side, Xion sits on one of the velvet couches with her head down, sulking as Naminé rubs comforting circles into her back, and in the middle, Roxas (strangely in a hipster getup) appears to be explaining something to Axel in calm manner, but the redhead is far from it. To Sora, none of it makes sense, but to Riku, it was all so obvious.

They were talking about the kiss.

Just as if he'd spoken it into existence, Axel's head snaps towards his direction, and the drummer of the Oathkeepers trudges over with his fists clenched.

"Axel," Roxas warns, trailing right behind his best friend.

"Are you _nuts_?" Axel yells, seething. Riku only closes his eyes and locks himself in place, preparing for an onslaught of hurtful words. Sora, on the other hand, keeps himself close in case the redhead decided to throw a few more punches at his best friend.

"What were you thinking, confusing her with some kiss?" Axel growls. "As if giving her a concussion wasn't enough!"

In the background, Xion flinches at the sound of those closest to her arguing.

"He just wanted her to experience her first with someone she actually knew," Sora reasons, standing up for Riku.

"Well that shouldn't have been up to him to decide," Axel says through gritted teeth.

"Well she never would've gotten to decide if she'd stayed in her room this entire time," Riku then fights back, eyes hard. Xion looks up from the couch, and for a brief moment, aquamarine locks with teary-eyed blue, but it's not long before she tears her gaze away and makes a beeline for the elevator doors, Naminé hot on her heels.

Axel takes this opportunity to scoff and storm away himself, making his way to who-knows-where. When the redhead is nowhere in sight, Roxas sighs and turns to both Riku and Sora with an unsure expression.

"You certainly haven't made this easy," the blond confesses, his words directed more towards Riku in particular, "but I can understand why you're doing it. Axel's very hot headed, so it'll take a while, but he'll eventually come around."

Riku only nods in acknowledgement as he watches the retreating figures of Xion and Axel, both walking away with mixed emotions because of his doing.

"Thanks, Roxas," he then says distantly. "I hope you're right."

* * *

The following morning, after a long night of constant tossing and turning and noticing her empty seat during breakfast, Riku finds himself standing in front of Xion's door, knocking every few seconds in hopes for a response. As a Funtertainer with the master key card, he had the ability to just waltz right in, but when Sora did that during their first week at the resort, he'd gotten chased out of Kairi's room, so Riku figures that respectfully waiting and staying outside was his best option.

"Xi," he calls, his voice hoarse and his hand firmly planted on the door. "I know you're in there." He hears a shuffle on the other side, but the door remains locked. At the very least, he knew she was listening, and for now, that was enough.

"Look," he starts, recalling what he'd discussed with Sora last night, "I know you're probably really confused right now, and I'm the last person you want to see, but… I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about last night. If I'm being totally honest, I don't entirely regret the kiss, but I didn't mean for it to tear us apart. I don't exactly know what it means for our relationship, but all I do know is that I don't want to lose you, so if and when you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

On the other side, Xion too has a hand firmly planted on her door, a piece of wood the only thing standing in between her and Riku's hands from intertwining. Her sights drift to and from the doorknob, fully knowing that she could change everything just by opening it, but she opens it anyway to get her thoughts out into the open.

Back outside, Riku nearly falls forward from the door suddenly opening, but he manages to catch himself in time.

"X-Xion," he stammers in surprise. She stands before him dressed in another oversized sweater hanging loosely over one shoulder and cotton short shorts, looking as adorable as ever. He wants nothing more than to whisk her off on another adventure, to let her experience something entirely new, to even just have a normal conversation with her, but she looks far from pleased.

"I'd spent so long trying to get over you," she tells him, voice quivering, "running through all the reasons why we wouldn't work. I really liked you, and I really liked what you made me become, but at the end of the day, you're charming playboy Riku, and I'd just be another one of your summer flings."

"But you wouldn't be," Riku immediately assures. "You're already too special to me, Xion."

Xion only shakes her head. "I'd finally accepted it, I was ready to move on, but... you reeled me back in with that kiss, and now I'm confused all over again. Do we stay friends? Do we pursue something more? Do we never speak again? I don't know… you're going to have to give me time to think."

Riku nods in understanding, unsure what else to say but "Take all the time you need, Xi. I'll wait."

"Thanks," she mumbles, and the last thing he sees is the unsure look on her face as she shuts the door again.

* * *

In the Deep Jungle, Axel stares up at the ceiling of his room, absentmindedly running a hand through Larxene's hair. She lays on his bare chest, fast asleep, but Axel is wide awake.

After he'd stormed off from the lobby last night he'd immediately called her for another one of their sessions under their "agreement", and she'd shown up no more than thirty minutes later. Their bodies went through the motions, but in between rounds, she'd done something that caught him off guard.

" _Hey, are you okay?" she'd asked while propping herself up with one elbow._

" _Talking about how we feel isn't part of our agreement, Larxene," he'd reminded her._

" _It is if it will potentially affect your performance," she'd teased just as he had before. He'd scowled at the comment, but she lightly shoved him in response._

" _I'm just kidding, Axel. What is up with you? You're normally not this serious."_

_He sighed as thoughts of Xion raced through his head. "I'm just… going through some stuff, Larxene."_

" _Do you want to talk about it?" she'd surprisingly asked with genuine concern. "I can tell it's really bothering you. You're very tense."_

" _So you're asking because the sex was weird?" he'd questioned._

_Larxene rolled her eyes while drawing circles on his bare chest. "No. I'm asking because I'm actually worried about you."_

_Axel blinked twice at her confession. "Huh. I'm flattered."_

_Larxene scoffed as if to hide her concern. "Don't be. I was just offering to get things off your chest."_

" _Thank you," he'd said, and now that he'd thought about it, perhaps talking to someone not central to the story could actually help. "You know what? I might actually take you up on that offer."_

And he'd surprised even himself when he told her about everything with Xion and how things took a turn the moment he'd discovered that she was Alice all along. She'd been surprisingly sympathetic towards him and comforted him not only physically (although she really knew how to do that well, too), but emotionally as well by letting him explain every inch of how he felt. It was refreshing seeing her that way, and as much as he hated to admit it, compassion was an admirable look on her. He was always so used to the headstrong and sadistic side of Larxene that he didn't think such a soft side of her could exist, but now that he'd seen it, he couldn't help but see her in a (slightly) different light.

Back in the moment, Axel mentally shakes his head at the thought. No, he couldn't do that. They had an agreement: one that strictly made them friends with sexual benefits and nothing more. He knew that he probably complicated things between them just by opening his mouth and talking about his personal feelings, but that was just because she'd caught him at a vulnerable time. It wasn't that he necessarily _wanted_ to tell her. He was just weak. Last night was a mistake, and he wouldn't make it again.

Larxene stirs in his arms, and it doesn't take long for the two to end up tangled in his bed all over again. For Axel, this was the easy part. This was what he was used to. He reminds himself that this is what they were, nothing more, and allows his body to go through the motions while struggling to keep his mind out of it.

* * *

Sometime after dinner, Xion hears another knock on her door, but she's quick to dismiss it.

"Go away, Riku. I'm not ready to talk yet," she groans from under her covers. Her ears perk upward at the sound of a key card unlocking the door, but before she can chuck a pillow at the intruder in frustration, she surprisingly finds Roxas standing before her with a tray of food in hand.

"Please don't throw the pillow," he pleads while raising the tray. "I come in peace."

"How did you get in here?" she asks, noting that only the Funtertainers and Axel (with her spare card) could get in.

"Sora leant me his master key card," Roxas explains while setting the food down at the end of her bed. "Since we didn't see in the dining room all day, I figured that you could use some food."

"Thanks," Xion says while eyeing the bowl of pasta, but doesn't bring herself to eat it quite yet.

"So how are you feeling?" Roxas asks while taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Honestly, all things considered…" Xion shrugs weakly. "I could be worse."

"But that's still not good," Roxas deduces. "You know, you can talk to me. I promise I won't say anything or force any opinions on you."

Xion reflects on his words and recalls what he'd said when she woke up from the hospital after the Kingdom Karts incident. He wasn't on Team Axel or Team Riku. He was on Team Xion, and he supported her decisions, no matter the outcome. He may very well be the perfect person to vent to.

"You sure?" she then asks for confirmation before letting it all out. "You might end up just as confused as I am."

"What are best friends for?" Roxas reminds with a grin.

So she spills the beans and lets him into the loop that she'd been mentally circling all day. "Well… I'd be lying to myself if I didn't feel anything in that kiss, but Riku and I can't pursue a committed relationship. Realistically, with his reputation and my stigma, we could only end in tragedy, but I really did enjoy my time with him. He allowed me to leave the castle walls and experience an entirely new summer vacation; to make my own choices; to actually live my life, and no words can describe how appreciative I am for that. However, being with him also comes at the expense of Axel hating my guts, and it breaks my heart to be this distant from him. It's like losing a family member that you've been with all your life, and living without his support has been painful. I can't be with one without upsetting the other, and it's all just... so confusing…"

When Roxas remains speechless, Xion looks up at him gratefully.

"You know, sometimes it helps just to talk about it, so thanks for listening, Roxas," she says.

Roxas then releases a sigh of relief. "Well thank goodness I didn't offer to give you advice, because I have no idea what to tell you."

Xion laughs half-heartedly as she falls back onto her bed.

"All I know is that as hard as it is to think about it, you don't have a lot of time left," Roxas reminds through a huge lump in his throat. "I know we're trying to fix that, but for now it's still limited, so with that in mind I wouldn't waste any more time locking yourself in your room. You're on Kingdom Hearts Resort! Now is not the time to tiptoe or sulk. Now's the time to make defining memories; to live your life and, as selfish as it sounds, think about yourself; to make decisions that make _you_ happy, and your true friends will respect those decisions. Some will take longer than others, but they eventually will."

Roxas then falls back into Xion's teacup bed with her and offers her a firm, supportive nod.

"You may not have it all figured out yet, but whatever you choose, I'm with you," he assures.

Appreciative tears well up in Xion's eyes as Roxas pulls her into a friendly embrace, and she returns the gesture with a firm squeeze.

* * *

A few minutes later, when Roxas enters his room, he's surprised to find his girlfriend sitting on one of the ancient klines, sketching on her tablet. His Olympus themed room, which paid more homage to the luxurious grandeur of the Realm of the Gods, was brought to life further by the fact that his girlfriend looked like a Greek goddess in her white night dress.

"Hey," he greets, leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I had a few more commissions to finish," Naminé answers while powering off her tablet, "so I figured I'd squeeze some in before bed."

"Well look at you becoming one of the island's most popular illustrators," Roxas compliments while plopping down on his bed.

"This coming from rising star Roxas Akiyama," his girlfriend says back. "Where were you anyway?"

"I brought Xion her dinner and we spoke for a bit," he answers as Naminé crawls into bed with him.

"That was nice of you," she says while effortlessly snuggling into his chest.

"Mhm," Roxas hums while rubbing a warm hand on her back. He'd failed to mention that he probably spent about a solid hour signing more Oathkeeper posters after he spoke with Xion, but silence wasn't particularly lying, was it?

* * *

In the hallway of the left wing lounge (otherwise known as the place where authenticity went to die given the twisted interviews on Teenage Wasteland), Sora finishes the last of his vacuuming duties and wipes a sheen of sweat from his forehead. He then walks over to unplug the device, but somehow trips on the edge of a loose rug. He catches himself on a bookshelf before he can fall too far, but his hand happens to land in a peculiar spot.

The book his hand is currently on feels oddly stiff, and now that he gets a good look, it seemed bulkier in comparison to the others. By pure gut instinct (they had a secret entrance to the secret place back home), he gives the top a light pull, and the edge of the bookcase swings open like a door. Sora's jaw drops, and he slowly pulls open the door to find what looks like a small office space complete with a large desk, computer, and multiple monitors.

He does a quick scan, finds no one inside, and continues his supposed investigation. He examines the contents on the desk and, judging by the notes, concludes that he'd stumbled upon the editing room for Teenage Wasteland. Not wanting to fall further into that rabbit hole, Sora decides that he has no business being in there and takes his leave—that is, until he finds Tidus and Kairi's names under a document titled _Teenage Wasteland Episode 4_.

He doesn't mean to read the contents of the bulleted list, but when his eyes glance over _Have Tidus ask Kairi to be his girlfriend_ (they also glance over _Play up the Sora and Hayner bromance more_ , but he ignores that one completely), he can no longer help himself. He scans the document for the when, why, and how, but the only answer he finds is _the date following their first kiss_ for "pacing purposes".

Sora's heart tightens in his chest. They'd shared their first kiss last night. That would mean that he only had one date left before he lost Kairi to Tidus Clearwater entirely, and he couldn't—w _ouldn't_ —let that happen. He gulps at the circumstances.

It seemed that he had less time to win Kairi back than he thought.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter inspirations:** The song playing during Sora and Kairi's first kiss was _Electric Love_ by BØRNS.


	17. best served sweet

**Background Information:**

**TERMINOLOGY**

**360 no scope:** a trick shot that involves a player in a first person shooter game spinning 360 degrees and shooting another player without the use of a scope; otherwise known as the most shameful and embarrassing way to die.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XVII | best served sweet

* * *

In the midst of her morning routine, Xion hears a knock on her door and steps out of the bathroom to sneak a peek through the peephole. She half expects it to be Riku or Roxas, so it comes as a very pleasant surprise to her when she finds Naminé standing on the other side. She opens the door, and the artist strolls in dressed in a white sundress-like cover up, a stylish sun hat, and a navy diamond tote bag slung over one shoulder.

"Good morning Xion," she greets.

"Good morning," Xion returns, taking in her getup. "If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you were going out today."

"That's a good observation," Naminé says back with a giggle, and Xion takes a moment to acknowledge why Roxas admired her so much.

To the naked eye, Naminé may have looked like a fragile doll, but she was much more than that. By coming to the resort, she faced her fear of the outdoors where she could, remained supportive as her boyfriend rose to stardom, spoke through her art, and treated Xion like an actual human being. Given the circumstances, their interactions in the castle had been admittedly awkward at first, but after getting to know one another, they now spoke as if they weren't two teenagers with agoraphobia and geostigma. They spoke as if they were Naminé and Xion: two teenagers looking out for each other, accepting and facing their supposed burdens head on, not allowing themselves to be limited by it.

"So at breakfast we decided that a bunch of us were heading to the Atlantica water park today," Naminé then says. "Would you like to come with us? I figured you could use some air."

"A water park?" Xion repeats with raised eyebrows. "Sounds fun, but also very fast-paced and squished with countless teenagers. Will that be okay with you?"

Naminé's eyes soften at Xion's concern. "I'll be fine. I plan on enjoying the lazy river for the most part anyways. So what about it? Want to tag along?"

 _You're on Kingdom Hearts Resort!_ Xion then recalls Roxas reminding her last night. _Now is not the time to tiptoe or sulk._

Xion looks back at her room, back to the walls and the ceiling that she'd memorized every inch of and turns back to Naminé. A change in scenery would be nice, and perhaps some fresh air could help her get her thoughts straight. Making new memories certainly sounded better than hiding under her covers all day, so her decision doesn't take much thought.

"I'll be in the lobby in ten minutes."

* * *

Sexy.

Sora can recall the very moment he first became acquainted with the word. It was his first day of high school, and he and Riku had just seen Kairi in her uniform for the very first time. She'd walked down the staircase of the mayor's house dressed in her white blouse, light blue plaid skirt, matching plaid tie, thigh-high navy-coloured socks, and taupe cardigan in hand. Sora just about had a nosebleed on the spot because _how did she make that look so good_ , but luckily Riku was able to cough some manners into him.

" _Close your mouth," he'd said while elbowing him discreetly._

Unaware that his jaw had even dropped, Sora did as he was told, but back in the present, he can't help his jaw from falling to the floor at the sight of Kairi stripping down to her swimsuit at the Atlantica water park. He'd seen her in a swimsuit during their night swimming session. He'd even seen her in one during her birthday. The results of her developments had overwhelmed him both times, but the difference now, however, was that she was no longer in the one pieces that she used to compete. No—this time she was in a stylish bikini, and he was but a poor teenage boy with raging hormones.

The top was pink in colour, criss-crossing in a way that really brought attention to her breasts, and the matching patterned bottom was high-waisted, doing _wonders_ to her curvy figure. Years of volleyball, swimming, and keyblade training had toned and shaped Kairi's body well (something she was always so wonderfully modest about), and this ensemble did nothing but show that off.

"Sora?" Kairi then questions while waving a hand in front of his face. "You okay?"

"Bumfuzzle," he confesses, his voice strained. "Super bumfuzzle."

Kairi turns absolutely red when she realizes what he's getting at. "O-oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Sora squeaks. He feels the sudden urge to pull on his collar but quickly realizes that his tank top doesn't even have one. "I'll manage."

Kairi only nods appreciatively while awkwardly twiddling her thumbs.

"If it helps, you can, um…" She then makes a motion to remove his shirt. "You know, j-just to be fair."

"Oh," Sora says. He then removes his top and tosses it onto the pool chair with the rest of Kairi's things. "Thanks."

"Sure thing," Kairi says, her eyes on anything _but_ his exposed chest.

"So…" Sora then starts after clearing his throat, trying to change the topic from the fact that they were _two teenagers that were terribly attracted to one another_. "Will Tidus be joining us today?"

The question takes Kairi aback. She never expected Sora to ask about Tidus' whereabouts, but what she didn't know was that he wasn't asking because he genuinely cared about the guy. He was asking because the idea of their next encounter made him nervous, and judging by the notes he'd accidentally stumbled upon in the editing room last night, Tidus could ask Kairi to be his girlfriend at any moment now.

"Um, no," she then answers, and Sora inwardly sighs in relief. "I told him that I wanted some time to hang out with my friends for a bit."

And time to figure out what she wanted them to be after their awkward kiss, but Kairi keeps that part to herself.

Sora, however, beams at her answer. For a few moments, he still had Kairi to himself, and he wasn't going to waste that time thinking about some other dude whisking her away. No—he would use it to remind her that their friendship was the most reliable, and that she didn't need some lying weasel to enjoy her summer vacation.

"Well then, shall we hang out?" he then asks while grabbing an inflatable tube for two from a nearby rack.

Kairi takes hold of the other end of the tube with a smile. "We shall."

At the lazy river, the remainder of the Oathkeepers (alongside Naminé, Xion, Olette, and Pence) find themselves gently riding along the shallow pathway, surrendering to the slow current that carried them peacefully on their inflatable tubes.

For Riku, however, the ride is far from peaceful. A few tubes ahead of him, Xion lounges alongside Naminé and Olette, and he sighs heavily at the distance between them. He wanted nothing more than to close the gap, to be by her side, but they were physically and emotionally distant now. From the corner of his eye he could tell that there were a few fan girls fawning over him, practically begging for his attention, but he was in no mood or mindset to give them any. The old Riku would entertain them without question, but this Riku had his sights set on Xion now. True, he'd messed around with a handful of girls since the summer had started, but even the most intimate of gestures couldn't electrify his body as much as one kiss from Xion did.

Riku groans. He may have been playing in the shallow end of relationships before, but he was approaching the deep end now, and he was more than willing to tread.

A few tubes behind Riku, Axel acknowledges the look of longing on the teen's face and scoffs. The little punk. He may have claimed to know what was best for Xion, but he'd done nothing but hurt and confuse her both physically and emotionally. Axel then takes hold of an unused water gun floating nearby, loads it, and wastes no time spraying the lovesick look off of his face. Riku immediately turns to him with a _WTF_ expression, eyes narrowed, but Axel merely shrugs as if it were an accident.

At the front of the river, Xion only watches the spiteful (and rather childish) exchange with heartbreak and dismay.

* * *

After thoroughly enjoying every possible water slide that the park could offer, Sora and Kairi find themselves at the snack bar, munching on a plate of fries. As Kairi chats animatedly about going on the wave pool next (after properly digesting their food, of course), Sora can't help but lean against the palm of his hand with a content smile.

The last time they were here, nine hours after she'd first arrived at the resort, Kairi walked out on him after he impulsively tried to win her back. Things were very rocky between them at first, but now, they were finally on good terms again. It definitely wasn't easy, but if he could level up from _painfully_ _clingy and_ _awkward ex-boyfriend_ back to _best_ _friend_ in the span of a few weeks (and yes, he was going to use the term level up), he could certainly level up from _best_ _friend_ to _boyfriend/love of her life_ by the end of the summer. He just needed to keep grinding patiently, do the seemingly silly side quests out of pure respect for her, and play his moves just right.

"Oh," Kairi then says as she picks up her phone. "It's Tidus. One sec."

And when Kairi leaves to answer the phone call, Sora breaks a French fry in half with a fake smile. Ah, of course. The ever eternal Tidus Clearwater boss battle. He knew that his quest would continue being far from easy, but if it meant that Kairi was going to be his girlfriend again, then it would be a very rewarding and noble quest indeed.

 _Wait_ , Sora then thinks, all the colour from his face draining as he realizes something. Kairi was talking to Tidus. _Could he be…?_ Sora then shakes his head at thought. No. No way. There was _no way_ that this guy was going to ask her to be his girlfriend through the phone. For the purposes of Teenage Wasteland, it had to be romantic and, most importantly, public. Tidus was more than likely asking Kairi on a date right now, and he'd probably ask her during said date.

Sora's heart drops at the thought. What was he going to do about that date? _Could_ he do anything about that date?

"Hey Sora," Hayner greets, approaching the snack bar and occupying the stool next to him. Behind him, Olette and Pence appear to be in line for towels. "What's with the face?"

"Huh?" Sora asks, confused. "What face?"

"You look like you just got 360 no scoped," Hayner then points out.

Sora's shoulders deflate. He didn't get 360 no scoped, but he was certainly about to.

"I accidentally stumbled across some valuable intel last night," the brunet then announces dramatically.

"Intel?" Hayner repeats with one eyebrow raised. "Do tell."

"Well," Sora starts, making sure that Kairi wasn't anywhere nearby, "I discovered a hidden door in the left wing lounge last night—"

Hayner shakes his head in disbelief. "Hold up, there's a secret door?"

"Yeah," Sora answers. "If you pull one of the books, it swings the bookshelf open like a door."

"Damn," Hayner whispers, mind blown. "You unlocked a secret room. Aight, I'm invested. What did you find?"

"The editing room for Teenage Wasteland," Sora says when Hayner cringes, "but that's not even the worst part. I came across a few editing notes and, out of pure luck, discovered that Tidus will be asking Kairi to be his girlfriend during their next date, which is more than likely tonight."

" _And?_ " Hayner asks as if expecting more. "You have told her about him and the whole act, right?"

Sora begins to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…"

Hayner crosses his arms, the disapproval very evident on his face. "Dude, I hate to say this, but you are cutting it real close here."

"I know!" Sora exclaims. Then, with a defeated sigh, "I know, but… I'm still torn between being her best friend and being the guy that respectfully stays out of it. More than anything I want to warn her, but I don't want to break my promise, either."

 _Meddling could only make things worse_ , Riku had warned him, and that still remained true.

"Sora," Hayner then says, his tone serious. "Tell Kairi soon, or I will."

Sora gulps, but before he can say otherwise, they're joined by Kairi, Olette, and Pence.

"Hey," Kairi says while plopping back down on another stool. "Everything okay?"

While Hayner nods unconvincingly, Sora only fakes a smile through gritted teeth.

"Mhm," he answers. "Just peachy."

* * *

At sundown, Selphie approaches Tidus at the entrance of the luxurious waterfront estate owned by the Clearwaters, her steps eerie and eyes sinister. She finds the star player of the Zanarkand Abes dressed for the night's festivities in a pale blue button-up and dark jeans, just making his way to his pickup truck. His stylish getup may have hinted at a fun-filled night, but his languid movements and dull eyes held little to no promise.

"So I trust you know what you have to do tonight?" Selphie questions. Tidus only boards his truck without sparing a glance in her direction.

"Yes," he answers unenthusiastically, "but I can't control whether she says yes or no."

When it came to sensing emotions, Tidus was no idiot. Even he could tell that Kairi felt nothing in their kiss atop the Ferris wheel (it also helped that her eyes were _very_ expressive), and he couldn't blame her. He'd be lying if he said he'd felt anything at all. Kairi was a great girl, but she wasn't… well, to put things bluntly, she wasn't Yuna.

Besides, she may not have realized herself, but Tidus had seen the way Kairi acted around her ex-boyfriend Sora. Her eyes lit up and her lips automatically curved upward at his very presence, and she was more relaxed and naturally playful with him around. Deep inside, she clearly still harboured feelings for the guy, and one could easily tell by the very air surrounding them that they had a very special bond, one that could only be attained through years of friendship, and no one, not even Tidus Clearwater, was any match for that.

Selphie, on the other hand, thinks otherwise and scoffs.

"She won't resist you," she says confidently. "No one can resist Tidus Clearwater, so that's the least of your worries."

* * *

At the outdoor amphitheater hosting the third round of Battle of the Bands that evening, Sora is a fidgety, shaky mess backstage, and everyone (with the exception of Kairi because she isn't there and is _on a date_ _with the lying weasel_ ) notices.

"Everything okay Sora?" Roxas asks while placing a supportive hand on his cousin's shoulder. "There's no need to be nervous. You aren't even performing today."

The third challenge, which was to perform a song with a single instrument, was taken on solely by Roxas, who was ready to wow the crowd with not a guitar performance (the audience would see that coming given his online reputation), but a heartfelt piano one. The rest of the household (again, with the exception of Kairi because _asdfghjkl_ ) showed up for moral support, but Sora's mind appears to be elsewhere.

"I know," Sora then says out loud. "I'm just… tense is all."

"What for?" Riku asks, chiming in.

Sora squirms uncomfortably, never feeling so torn in his life. "I don't know if I should say."

"But you probably should if it's bothering you this much," Roxas advises. "Come on, let us help."

At the sight of his friends watching him with concerned eyes, Sora trembles nervously, but when he locks eyes with Hayner in particular, the gamer offers him an encouraging nod. Sora gulps, unable to hide his anxiety, and erupts like a volcano. From the moment he'd accidentally overheard Selphie and Tidus' conversation in the lounge to the most recent events with the secret bookshelf, he unveils it all, and everyone openly gawks at the information.

"So what the hell are you doing here, then?" Axel asks amidst the shocked silence. "You have to warn Kairi about that two-faced buttsack like right now!"

"B-but Riku warned me not to meddle!" Sora reasons with flailing arms. "And I don't want her to think that I'm using this as unfair leverage to win her back or anything."

"She won't," Riku assures with crossed arms. "And I know that I told you not to meddle, but this is one of those rare cases where you _should_. Above everything else, you and Kairi are best friends, and that should come first. It's going to hurt her, yes, but it'll be better coming from someone that really cares about her."

Taken aback by Riku's response (he was _so sure_ that keeping his mouth shut was the best option), Sora looks around to find everyone nodding in agreement.

"But Roxas," Sora then says, wanting to be there to support his cousin.

"I got this," Roxas assures. "We'll be fine."

Sora's sights then turn to Hayner, who appears to be giving him an _I told you so_ look.

"I'm sorry Hayner," Sora apologizes. "I should've just listened to you from the beginning."

Hayner only shakes his head and offers Sora a pat on the back. "Don't worry about me. Just do what you need to do."

And Sora runs off to do just that.

* * *

A hasty fifteen minute drive later, Sora parks his golf cart at the entrance of the Mini-Putt Pixar golf course: the known venue for Kairi and Tidus' dreaded date. He pays for the admission fee, runs across the strangely quiet course (likely empty due to Battle of the Bands), and finds Kairi at the eighth hole, sitting on the porch of the house from the movie _Up_ with a Styrofoam cup in hand. Atop the house is a vast array of fake balloons emerging from the chimney, and beside it, a miniature waterfall resembling Paradise Falls leads to the ninth hole below.

By the time he reaches her, Sora's practically breathless, but he tries to blurt everything out, nonetheless.

"Kairi, I have something really important to tell you," he wheezes, his hands on his knees. "Tidus, he—"

Kairi weakly raises her hand, stopping him. "No need to explain, Sora. The deed's already been done."

Sora's heart shatters. Was he too late? "Wh-what?"

"I rejected Tidus," Kairi clarifies, her eyes closed and body eerily still. Sora's eyes widen at the answer as he straightens his posture and runs his hands through his hair with a deep breath. Relief is the first thing he wants to feel, but it hardly seemed appropriate considering that his best friend was sulking right in front of him. He'd been so focused on getting to her that he hadn't even noticed that Tidus was already nowhere to be found.

"Sora," Kairi then says, clearly stifling a sob.

"Yes?" he asks softly.

"I could really use my best friend right now," she whimpers. He's by her side within seconds, taking the spot right next to her. Kairi immediately takes comfort in his presence and leans her head against his shoulder, and Sora's heart warms at the familiar feeling of having her close.

"So what happened?" he asks while throwing an arm over her shoulders.

"He asked me to be his girlfriend," Kairi says, her voice cracking, and Sora begins to rub comforting circles into her shoulder with his thumb. "And as charming as he is, I couldn't go through with it. I mean… he totally failed to respect my boundaries. I told him that I wanted to keep things casual between us, nothing romantic, but he'd pushed for it anyways."

"O-oh," Sora says, surprised by her answer. He had other reasons to reject the guy, reasons he'd soon tell Kairi once he found the right opening in their conversation, but he should've given her more credit. Of _course_ she wouldn't agree to be the girlfriend of some cute guy she'd just met at Kingdom Hearts Resort. She was smarter than that. She was the type to take her time; the type to build a strong foundation before jumping into a committed relationship, and Sora of all people should've known that. She also knew what she needed, and it wasn't Tidus.

Tidus may have been Prince Charming to plenty of other girls on the island, but not to Kairi. She didn't need someone picking up her glass slipper whenever it fell. She was plenty capable of doing that herself. No—what she needed was someone to take her shoes off with her and frolic around the beach barefoot; someone to laugh with her as she playfully splashed water in every direction; someone to be with her through the good times and the bad, no matter how high and how low.

She needed a best friend.

The thought gives Sora hope and makes his heart flutter, but what Kairi says next completely derails him.

"Then I dumped my milkshake on his head," she says casually while shaking the empty Styrofoam cup she has in hand.

Sora gawks at her. "What? Whoa. I of all people can totally see the boundary thing being disrespectful, but did you really have to dump a milkshake on the guy for asking?"

Kairi laughs, but it's hollow. "No. The milkshake was for using me as a pawn to increase the ratings on Teenage Wasteland."

Sora nearly falls over. "H-how… how did you know about that?"

"Hayner told me before I left," Kairi says simply. "He even snuck me into some secret editing room for Teenage Wasteland and showed me all the notes."

Sora's parted lips part even further. The gamer really wasn't kidding when he told him that if he didn't tell her himself, he would.

"Did he tell you how he found out about everything?" Sora asks fearfully.

Kairi nods, but if she showed any signs of being angry or upset, he doesn't catch them.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself," Sora says guiltily. "Above all, you and I are best friends, and I shouldn't have hid something like that from you. I should've told you the moment I found out and spared you from all this trouble. I'm really sorry, Kairi."

Kairi then shakes her head, though with closed eyes and balled fists. "Don't be. I understand why you did it. Hayner expressed how worried you were about telling me the night you found out. We were going through an awkward phase, and you didn't want to make it seem like you were making up stories about Tidus to put me against him."

Sora gulps as he recalls the excitement he'd seen in her eyes before her first date with Tidus.

"You looked so happy that night," he says, "and I was causing you a lot of trouble already. I couldn't ruin that for you."

"I know," Kairi tells him sadly. "I'm the one who asked you to be supportive, and you were just respecting that."

"So… you're not mad?" Sora asks.

Kairi turns to face him and musters a thankful smile despite the tears welling up in her indigo eyes. She had just been used and lied to, and yet she still tried to stay strong. Sora almost chuckles at the familiar sight. Typical Kairi. She'd probably held back around Hayner and Tidus earlier, but she didn't need to hide around him.

"You respected my boundaries even when it was the hardest," she then says, her voice strained. "How could I be mad?"

Sora boldly takes one of her hands in his, his way of telling her that she didn't need to hide the way she felt anymore, and she doesn't hesitate to let her guard down for him. The tears spill freely from her eyes as Sora instinctively pulls her into a hug, and Kairi crashes into his chest. He holds her close as she cries it out, running a comforting hand through her hair, and she grips onto him as tight as she possibly can. It wouldn't have been the first time she came crying to him, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. Sora never liked seeing Kairi cry, and he ached with her every time she did, but he'd keep aching with her as much as she wanted. He'd be there for her until the end of time, and nothing, not even some manipulative TV personality or two-faced lying buttsack, could get in his way.

When Kairi's cries eventually subside into sniffles, she looks up at Sora, eyes puffy but thankful for his presence.

"Sora," she then says.

"Yes?" he whispers. He wants nothing more than to kiss her, to feel her giggle beneath his lips despite the circumstances, but he manages to hold himself back because now was hardly the time.

"I think I could really use that baking lesson right about now," she answers. She reaches into her small purse and pulls out one of the coupons he'd gifted for her seventeenth birthday, and he gladly cashes in the coupon that reads _1 Free Baking Lesson_.

"It would be my honour," he says while getting up and outstretching his hands towards her. "But I'm afraid there's one more order of business that we have to tend to before we do that."

* * *

At the luxurious Clearwater estate, Sora and Kairi sneakily scale the wall of the front gate, the former armed with a paintball gun strapped across his back.

"Sora, are you sure we should be doing this?" Kairi whispers discreetly. "We could get caught!"

"Quit worrying," Sora assures as he sneaks a peek at the estate through the wrought iron gates. The lights of the house weren't on, but Tidus' pickup truck was conveniently parked in the driveway.

 _Perfect_ , Sora thinks, mischief in his eyes.

"What if there are security cameras?" Kairi asks fearfully.

"There aren't. I've seen the blueprints of this house, and if anything, there's just a security guard wandering the area from time to time, so if we get in and get out fast, we'll be fine," Sora says. He then catches Kairi giving him a look.

"And how exactly did you get your hands on the blueprints of this estate?" Kairi asks.

"We Funtertainers have our ways," Sora answers, "and it was purely for research purposes."

"Uh huh," Kairi says, unconvinced. "So can you tell me what we're doing here?" she then asks.

Sora only climbs the gate and gracefully lands on the other side in response.

Kairi's lips part in shock. "No. No way. I am not trespassing."

"What's this I hear?" Sora asks, playfully cupping his ear. "Is Kairi Hart chickening out?"

Kairi turns red with both embarrassment and anger at the accusation. "I am not."

"Bok bok," Sora mocks teasingly, knowing that Kairi hated being left behind.

"Sora," Kairi warns.

"Sorry, I don't speak coward," Sora teases further.

Fuming, Kairi rolls up the sleeves of her sundress and begins climbing the gate. When she reaches the top, she suddenly becomes aware of the shortness of her dress.

"Um, Sora," she then says. "Can you… not look?"

"Huh?" he asks, confused. He finally gets the hint when she swings one of her legs over the gate. He turns beet red and looks in the opposite direction. "O-oh. Sure."

Sora gulps and feels his heart practically pounding in his chest, but luckily Kairi quickly sticks her landing and is by his side within seconds.

"All right, we're here now," she whispers. "Now what?"

To answer her question, Sora hands her the paintball gun and eyes the pickup truck with the plate number T1DU5 right beside them.

"Fire away my dear," he says dramatically.

Kairi's eyes widen as she takes hold of the weapon. "You want me to do _what_?"

"Oh come on, don't act like he totally deserves it," Sora reasons. "And trust me, it's very cathartic. I would know from experience."

The two lock eyes for a brief moment before bursting into a fit of giggles at the memory of Sora mercilessly paintballing Ephemer Evans' car back on Destiny Islands in his jealous rage.

"Why did you have a paintball gun in the back of your golf cart anyways?" Kairi then asks while wiping a tear from her eye.

"It's Hayner's," Sora answers. "He... may have left it there from the night we stalked you and Tidus at the drive-in theatre all those weeks ago."

"You _what_?" Kairi asks.

"Hey," Sora starts with crossed arms, "just because I didn't mention anything to you verbally doesn't mean that I wasn't physically looking out for you from afar."

Despite the ridiculousness of it all, Kairi's eyes soften at her best friend for always having her back.

"Now go," Sora says, ushering her over to the side of Tidus' truck and presenting it to her with a flourish. "Give this thing a new paint job."

Though with much reluctance, Kairi eventually raises the gun and places her hand on the trigger, but before she gives it a pull, she turns to Sora with an unsure look. He only nods at her encouragingly, and after a deep intake of breath, she musters up the courage to shoot. A splat of blue paint rests on the passenger side of Tidus' car, and Kairi turns to Sora with a nervous grin.

"Keep going," Sora urges.

Kairi takes another deep breath and takes aim again, shooting all over the door and making her way to the front of the hood. Halfway through paintballing the entire truck, Kairi's nervous grin transitions into a full on mischievous smirk. Sora was right: with every paintball that left her gun and hit Tidus' truck, the burden of being used and lied to in front of the entire island lightens a bit more, and by the time she runs out of ammo, Tidus' truck is a rainbow-infested mess.

"So," Sora starts with his hands on his hips, a knowing grin on his face. "How'd that feel?"

"Like, really good," Kairi confesses breathlessly, exhilaration still coursing through her veins. Master Aqua had always taught her that revenge was wrong, but in (very) small doses, it sure was sickly sweet. As for Sora, well, large doses of his silly (and often childish) antics combined with his contagious smile were the heart fluttering kind of sweet and, dare she say it, essential.

"I'm glad," Sora then says, and he means it; but before he can outstretch his arms for a proud embrace, he catches a glimpse of a flashlight from the corner of his eye. The two share a frightful look, but before either of them can react, the light coming from the backyard flashes in their very direction, and the two freeze like two deer caught in headlights.

"Hey!" comes the deep voice of the security guard. "What's going on here?"

"Time to go!" Sora exclaims, immediately taking Kairi by the wrist and making a run for the gates. He then lowers himself, lacing his hands together, and after years of playing volleyball together, Kairi very well knew what this meant. She straps the paintball gun over her shoulder, carefully steps on his laced hands, and allows him to throw her upward and over the gate. She sticks the landing on the other side, and Sora climbs over and joins her not a moment later.

As the two make a run for the golf cart parked nearby, they hear the security guard unlocking the gates behind them, and they both quicken their pace in a fit of more giggles. Luckily for them, the security guard isn't as swift and stops his pursuit the moment the two board the golf cart and make their sweet escape. At the sight of a defeated security guard resting his hands on his knees behind them, gasping for air, Sora and Kairi's giggles transition into full on maniacal laughter, and they spend the next few minutes wiping tears from their eyes.

For Kairi, something about the lively, spontaneous air reminded her of the night Sora drove her home from the end of school year beach party, and she relishes in it: the hot but simultaneously chilly winds, the youthful feeling, the giddy playfulness of it all. She outstretches her arms just as she did on the back of his scooter last year and takes a deep breath, soaking it all in and feeling it in her lungs, and turns to find present day Sora looking at her with those bright blue eyes and charismatic smile of his. Kairi returns the smile effortlessly, but feels a familiar tingle in her lips when she recalls the kiss they'd also shared that night. She feels her heart still at the memory, and present day Kairi turns away with a blush.

* * *

When Sora and Kairi return to the castle, the latter still appears to be riding her spontaneous post-paintballing high and unexpectedly parts ways with Sora at the lobby.

"I'll join you in the kitchen soon," she says while heading in the direction of the spa. "I promise!"

"Okay," Sora says, waving farewell with a half-smile.

He then makes his way to the kitchen and decides to get a head start on gathering all the equipment and ingredients for their baking lesson. After examining everything they have to work with, he briefly considers what to make and snaps his fingers when he recalls the heavenly scent of his mom's cinnamon rolls. Those always brought a smile to his face, were fairly easy to make, and were sinfully delicious. By the time he throws everything they could possibly need onto the stainless steel countertop and measures everything accordingly, Kairi finally waltzes into the kitchen.

"So," she says, her hands laced behind her back, "what do you think?"

Sora looks up and immediately drops the (luckily) empty mixing bowl he has in hand, letting it clatter onto the floor.

Kairi had cut her hair.

What used to flow past her shoulders now rested just above them, and the stylish cut framed her face nicely, making her look more mature but every inch just as beautiful. He notes that it's not as short as when she was fourteen, but it looked just as trendy and, most importantly, comfortable.

"Whoa, Kairi," he breathes. "You're a knockout."

Kairi blushes at his reaction and playfully twirls for him, showing off her new look.

"Thank you," she says. "I figured I needed a change: a reminder that I won't be the same naive Kairi for the rest of the summer. From here on out, I'm going to take on every adventure with a whole new energy!"

Sora welcomes her newly found confidence and motivation with a proud smile (although in his opinion, both had always just come to her naturally) and invites her to join him by tossing an apron in her direction.

"Is this new Kairi still up for a baking lesson?" he then asks.

She excitedly puts on the apron in response. "You bet!"

Some time later, when Hayner, Pence, and Olette return to the castle, they follow the heavenly scent of cinnamon rolls and stumble across a very interesting sight in the kitchen. There's flour all over the place, there's cinnamon filling smeared on both Sora and Kairi's faces, their hands are obviously sticky with cream cheese frosting, but the two look as if they were having the time of their lives. Kairi allows Sora to guide her as she carefully spreads the frosting all over the baked rolls, and Olette doesn't fail to notice the pure admiration twinkling in her roommate's bright indigo eyes as well as her willingness to be in such close proximity to her ex-boyfriend.

For Kairi though, the whole thing is strange. It was strange to have the guy she had her heart broken over to be mending it so well, but even this felt more right than having Tidus' lips on hers. Sora then takes one of the finished rolls in his hand and, totally oblivious to Hayner, Pence, and Olette's presence, lifts it up to Kairi's mouth. She takes a bite, sighs in delight at the taste, and urges Sora to take a bite himself. He does as he's told, nods happily in satisfaction, and it isn't until Hayner clears his throat that the two finally notice their presence.

"Well hello," Hayner greets. Behind him, Olette covers her mouth as she lets out a knowing chuckle, and Pence quickly snaps a picture.

"Oh hey guys," Sora says, totally oblivious to their amusement. Kairi, on the other hand, finishes the remainder of their shared cinnamon roll in an embarrassed silence.

"Where is everyone?" she then asks, trying to draw the attention to anything but them.

"Went to some after party after the performance," Hayner answers while shamelessly walking towards the tray of cinnamon rolls. "Mind if we partake?"

"Please do," Sora says while walking the tray towards them. While Hayner and Pence take one and remain by Sora's side, Olette takes one and walks over to Kairi on the other side of the counter.

"I was going to ask if you were okay," Olette starts, specifically not mentioning _He who shall not be named_ , "but I see that you're in good hands."

Kairi's cheeks heat up at Olette's wiggling eyebrows, but she nods in agreement. Sora was there for her when she needed him, and for that she was thankful.

"Oh, and I'm really digging this new look but the way," Olette then compliments, referring to her roommate's hair. "It suits you."

"Thanks," Kairi says while tucking a few strands of claret hair behind her left ear, flattered.

Back with Hayner, Pence, and Sora, the professional gamer brings forth some interesting information.

"So we heard that Tidus Clearwater's pickup truck got mysteriously paintballed tonight," Hayner points out, and Sora nearly chokes on his second cinnamon roll. "It's all over the website and social media. Do you happen to know something about that?"

"Maybe," Sora says guiltily through a mouthful of cinnamon roll. Then, after properly chewing and swallowing, he places a grateful hand on Hayner's shoulder. "Thank you, by the way. For having the courage to tell Kairi what I couldn't right away. You really helped us there."

Hayner shrugs as if it were no big deal, but nonetheless feels touched. "It's no biggie. Kairi taught me how to swim for the blitzball tournament, and you helped me out with Olette at The Pier the other night. That's what friends do, right? Help each other out?"

Pence and Sora can't help the grins that make their way onto their faces at Hayner's choice of words. For the first time ever that summer, the supposed "lone wolf" had used the F word, and they couldn't be prouder.

"Yeah," Sora answers as he gladly accepts the gamer into his inner circle with a fist bump. "That's what they do."

* * *

At the after party Hayner had mentioned taking place in The Noize's backyard, Xion finds herself squished uncomfortably on an outdoor wicker loveseat, watching as everyone around her occupied themselves with a conversation or activity nearby. The host (Neku, was it?) was conversing with Roxas (and naturally the sight of them hitting it off attracted a crowd), Axel was preoccupied with a poolside flip cup tournament, Naminé (yes, even Naminé) was discussing her artwork with another teen that recognized her from Artist's Alley, and Riku… well, Riku was leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed, paying no mind to a swarm of fangirls begging him for selfie.

Xion was never a conversation starter herself, but she knew why no one else was paying much attention to her. Online, she was Xion/Alice: Axel's ex-love that he was supposedly cheating on and Riku's "secret girl". It may have sucked to be portrayed that way, but in all honesty, she'd still take this over being trapped in her room all day because in there, she was truly invisible. Out here, at least she existed and was known for something. It may not have been true, but at least it was something.

Amidst the blue club lights and techno music blaring from the speakers, Xion finally decides to get up and asks Naminé if she wants a drink. The artist nods appreciatively, thinking that a nice glass of water could help calm her nerves. She'd slowly been getting used to these environments for Roxas' sake (the recent conversations about her art style and techniques were starting to help), but that didn't stop the onslaught of screaming, overactive teenagers from being overwhelming from time to time.

Xion approaches the outdoor bar, but it's so crowded that even with her tiny little hand raised, she remains unseen by the bartender. She manages to make her way through the crowd, but even in plain sight the bartender pays her no mind. A loud whistle is then heard, and everyone moves to make way for Riku Kenbishi of The Oathkeepers. He has the bartender's attention immediately and requests two iced waters. The bartender hands him his order within seconds, and he hands them both to Xion.

"Thanks," Xion mutters while accepting the drink. "But I could've handled that myself."

"I don't doubt it," Riku tells her. "But I just wanted to help."

Xion awkwardly accepts his efforts with a nod and makes her way back to Naminé, leaving Riku to watch her retreating figure with a sigh. He so badly wanted to reach out towards her, but until she decided what she wanted them to be, he had to keep his urges to himself.

 _Man_ , he then thinks. Was this how Sora felt? It sure was exhausting, but he had to give props to the guy for staying strong.

"Would it kill you to keep some distance?" a familiar voice then asks behind him. Riku turns to find his fellow redheaded bandmate scowling at him with his arms crossed.

"Why are you so against me helping her?" Riku asks tiredly.

"You mean apart from the fact that you disguised her to try things she shouldn't be trying, nearly got her killed, and confused the hell out of her by kissing her?" Axel asks sarcastically. "Gee, it sure is a mystery."

From afar, after handing Naminé's drink to her, Xion observes the two bickering boys and hastily begins to make her way back to them, the artist just a few steps behind her.

"At the end of the day you and I just want what's best for her," Riku says simply. "We just have differing opinions about it."

"As if you know anything about what's best for her," Axel says, seething. "I _know_ you, Riku Kenbishi, and I of all people understand your approach with women. People like you and me? We don't change. In the end, you're only going to break her heart, so if you think for _one second_ that I'll even let you touch—let alone _date_ —my little sister, you've got another thing coming."

"Will you two _cut it out_?" Xion says, approaching the two with angered strides. Behind her, Naminé urgently searches for Roxas. "You've been bickering about me and taking shots at each other everywhere we go, and I'm downright sick of it." Xion then turns to her supposed older brother and looks him right in the eye. "Axel, would it kill you to stop starting shit with Riku?"

The redhead's jaw drops in pure shock. "Are you seriously defending him right now? He's caused you so much pain, Xi—how are you okay with that?"

"Because it makes me feel human, Axel!" Xion exclaims, and the boys find themselves taken aback by her sudden outburst. "All this confusion, all this pain… I would rather feel this than nothing at all."

"Xi…" Axel whispers, wide-eyed.

"Besides, those aren't the only things that he's shown me," Xion continues. "He's shown me joy, compassion, and adventure, and those aren't easily dismissed."

Riku's heart skips a beat when she turns to look at him, but just when he thinks that he has her in his grasp, she floats away once again.

"I'd love to go on a date with you and see where we can go," she starts, tears welling up in her eyes, "but as much as I want to, I can't. I've seen this movie before and I know how it ends: you either break my heart as an ex-playboy or we go the Nicholas Sparks route and I die, breaking your heart instead. Either way, it doesn't look good for us, and we both can't get out unscathed."

When Riku remains speechless (although his mind is racing with a thousand things to say), Xion then turns her attention back to Axel.

"And _you_ ," she starts, boldly poking him in the chest. "Who I can or can't be with is not up to you. It's _my_ choice, not yours, so there's no sense in arguing about it."

"But…" Axel starts. Before he can get a word in, Roxas cuts through the crowd with Naminé and puts himself in between the two boys.

"Hey, is everything okay?" he asks, sensing the tension in the air.

"Everything's fine," Xion says, though her tone is far from it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home."

"Wait, Xion," Riku pleads when she turns her back to them, but Axel immediately grabs him by the wrist before he can take one step towards her.

"Don't even think about it," the redhead growls.

"Let me go," Riku grumbles, pulling himself free. He gets about three steps out before Axel tackles him to the ground, and the crowd gasps in shock as the drummer of the Oathkeepers throws a punch at the bassist's face. The latter retaliates with a punch of his own, but Axel has a few more right hooks up his sleeve. Roxas immediately tries to pry his hotheaded best friend away, but everyone's phones are already out within seconds, lighting and recording the entire fight.

"Both of you, cut it out!" Xion screams, tears streaming down her face. Beside her, Naminé covers her mouth in shock and shivers at the violent scene.

"Way to show her what's best for her," Riku says through gritted teeth.

"I'm only trying to protect her, you little shit," Axel curses, readying himself for another punch.

"I said _cut it out_!" Xion yells at the top of her lungs, her hands balled into tight fists. At the sound of her distressed plead, Roxas, Axel, and Riku stop moving entirely and turn to face her.

"Xion," Axel starts, immediately sensing her weakened state. He unballs his fist just as her eyes shut, and Riku's heart clenches.

"Xion!" Roxas exclaims, and he runs forward just in time to catch her as she faints into his arms.

**tbc**

* * *

**Chapter inspirations:** _Tokyo Nights_ by Digital Farm Animals, Shaun Frank, and Dragonette really inspired the adventures of Sora and Kairi during this chapter, and the song playing at the party hosted by The Noize was _Summer Nights_ by Tiësto (feat. John Legend). Wow, we have a night theme going on here, don't we?


	18. oathkeepers

**Background Information:**

**Verum Rex:** a first person shooter mini game in which the player controls a robot that destroys enemies to score as many points as possible within a time limit.

* * *

PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND  
XVIII | oathkeepers

* * *

Back in the futuristic Disney castle den modelled after the Federation Ship in Deep Space, in the middle of a heated game of Kingdom Karts between Sora, Kairi, Hayner, and Olette, Selphie comes barging into the room. One could easily tell just by the sinister _click clacking_ of her heels that she was not pleased, and a few steps behind her, Wakka also enters the room, but in a much more unsure and nervous fashion.

Selphie then walks up to the front of the room, stops directly in the middle of the projected screen, and without any warning whatsoever, powers down the projector.

"Hey!" Hayner says angrily when the screen goes blank. "I was just about to win!"

Beside him, Olette coughs a subtle " _you wish_ ".

"Kairi, may I have a word with you in private?" Selphie asks through gritted teeth, the tempo of the _click clacking_ unfaltering as she continues to angrily tap one foot.

Sensing what the conversation was going to be about, Kairi takes a deep breath, but before she can get a word in, Sora jumps in to defend her.

"Whatever you need to talk about, you can do it in the presence of her friends," he says, not wanting Kairi to go at it alone with the master manipulator. He had no doubts that she could handle it herself, but if he was around and had the opportunity to help, he'd do it without question.

"Fine then," Selphie says pointedly. She then turns to Kairi, eyes staring daggers. "Kairi, why did you reject Tidus Clearwater?"

"The same reason anyone would reject someone," Kairi answers simply. "Because I wasn't interested in him romantically."

"How can you not be?" Selphie asks, flabbergasted. "Have you seen the guy? Do you know who he is? Any other girl would've taken your spot in a heartbeat."

"But she isn't any other girl, is she?" Olette argues, and Kairi turns to her roommate with an appreciative smile.

"And there's much more to a relationship than just the surface level," Kairi reasons. "Tidus is charming and all, but he and I had no foundation, and we definitely didn't have enough for me to even _consider_ a romantic relationship with him."

Sora nods in agreement and inwardly high-fives himself at the same time. He may not have been an expert, but that sounded an awful lot like hope.

"Oh screw foundation," Selphie says, seething. "Thanks to you, the next episode of Teenage Wasteland is going to be delayed. Unless, of course, you project to the public that you _didn't_ reject Tidus."

"I'm sorry Selphie," Kairi says politely, but the apology is hollow. "But I can't do that. I won't lie about my feelings and sacrifice authenticity for some silly TV show."

"I can turn you into a monster," Selphie threatens, her blood boiling. Perhaps manipulating the redhead wasn't going to be as easy as she thought. "I can portray you as the most spoiled brat there is, and everyone will judge you for it."

"Go ahead," Kairi says, boldly standing from her seat and confidently walking towards Selphie. Sora watches her with admiration. This was not the same Kairi that he'd found crying in the freezer earlier that summer, and it wasn't just because her hair had changed—no, this was a new Kairi inside and outside indeed.

"The opinions that truly matter to me belong to the people who live within these castle walls," Kairi continues, "so you can go ahead and paint me as whatever you want to the island. My friends know who I really am."

Behind her, everyone nods in agreement. Defeated, Selphie lets out a frustrated growl at their united front and storms out of the room with Wakka in tow.

"Yass queen!" Hayner exclaims sassily when the _click clacking_ fades into the distance.

The four let out a laugh, but the lighthearted moment is short lived. No more than ten seconds later, Pence enters the room with his tablet in hand and a solemn look on his face.

"Hey guys, I hate to break your feel good moment," he starts while projecting the most recent events with Xion at The Noize's backyard party through social media, "but we've got a situation."

* * *

At the hospital, Roxas tries to comfort a nervously pacing Axel in the hallway as they wait for an update on Xion's condition.

"Axel, she's going to be fine," Roxas assures calmly.

His best friend only continues his pacing as he recalls the way Xion had collapsed and gone limp in Roxas' arms earlier, her complexion paler than usual. Through the full-length windows overlooking the cafeteria below, his sights then land on Riku who sits across from Naminé, both with cups of coffee in hand as they also wait.

"You know," Axel starts, eyes narrowed and fists balled, "I'm starting to think that if that little punk never got involved with her in the first place, it probably would've saved us a lot of trouble. He'd brought her to her limit, and look at where it got her: back in the hospital again."

Roxas frowns. "I hate to tell you this, Axel, but it's not like Riku was the only one causing her stress lately. You've been ignoring her since Super Kingdom Karts, and that hasn't been great for her either."

Axel scoffs, wide-eyed. "If you're going to take his side, then I don't want to hear it."

"I've told you before: I'm not on anyone's side but Xion's," Roxas explains while throwing his hands into his pockets.

Axel turns to Roxas with a disbelieving look.

"And what would you know about being on Xion's side?" he says, his tone serious but delivery shaky. "You weren't there for her the whole time like I was."

The words pierce right through him, and Roxas walks forward to place a reassuring hand on Axel's shoulder.

"I know," the blond admits, his voice hoarse, "but what matters is that I'm here now to make up for lost time, and we need to work together if we want Xion to get better." Axel inhales sharply at the weight of it all, but eventually lets out a long exhale in understanding. He couldn't spend his time being upset at his best friend for events that had already transpired. Roxas wasn't the true enemy here: time was, and they needed to use it not only wisely, but together.

"And hey," Roxas continues, "I don't like the fact that Riku kissed her as much as you do, but… I hate to say that I think it was necessary."

Axel then turns to look at Roxas as if he'd spontaneously grown a second head right before his very eyes.

"She would've stayed safe inside," Axel reasons. "She wouldn't have suffered, been uncomfortable, or been confused."

"But like Xion said, suffering and confusion is all part of being human, Axel," Roxas reminds, "and we need it to a certain extent; otherwise, we'd be living a very neutral, boring, and meaningless existence. When I first met Naminé, she was terrified to even step foot outside. We had to go through plenty of moments that made her uncomfortable just to get her to where she is now—and let me tell you, it was difficult to watch and experience at times—but if we hadn't, she wouldn't have grown, and she wouldn't be here with us today."

Axel takes another deep intake of breath, but his balled fists noticeably slacken. "So you're telling me that I need to let the bird fly from the cage?"

Roxas nods.

"But what if she's not ready?" Axel questions. "What if _I'm_ not ready?"

"No one ever is, and no one ever will be," Roxas answers. "We all make choices not knowing if they're right or wrong, but what matters is that we learn from both. She's strong enough to handle it, Axel, but not if her friends aren't there for her."

Axel hangs his head low in defeat.

"So what?" he croaks. "I can't protect her anymore?"

"Of course you still can," Roxas assures, "just from afar this time. Give her space to make her own choices, provide input when and where you can, but don't be forceful. The more you try to control her, the more hurt she'll be. I know it's going to take a while to get used to, but if you really try, she'll appreciate the freedom."

"And if she gets her heart broken?" Axel asks, recalling Riku's reputation with women.

"Then she gets her heart broken," Roxas answers heavily. "We can be there to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, but what's important is that she experiences it for herself."

Axel lets out an exasperated sigh and runs a hand through his spikes. "Let's hope we'll even have the chance to. We don't even know if she's going to wake up, and do you know the worst part of it all? Do you know what really _sucks_ about all of this?" Axel takes hold of both sides of his head in frustration and leans his forehead against the closest wall.

"The last thing I ever said to her was that I'd refuse to talk to her until she got her head straight about Riku," he croaks. "It's such a cruel memory, but if it truly is her time, then that's the last one she has of me."

"It won't be her last memory of you," Roxas assures. "You'll have plenty more to share with her."

"I wish I could tell her how sorry I am for it now," Axel says, his voice shaking. "I regret it so much."

"You'll get to tell her," Roxas consoles. "This isn't the end, Axel. Things can still be fixed. If anything, when (and not _if_ ) she wakes up, this is an incentive for us to do better—to be better."

With his forehead still pressed against the wall, Axel turns to look at his best friend with a blank expression as stark as the colour of the walls.

"You're being awfully optimistic about all this," he points out.

Roxas smiles weakly. "One of us has to be."

* * *

Downstairs in the cafeteria, Naminé notices Riku drumming his fingers nervously on the side of his coffee cup.

"Hey," she says, her tone comforting, "everything is going to be okay, Riku."

"How are you so sure?" he asks shakily.

"I'm not," the artist wholeheartedly admits, "but I do know that she's strong. She'll make it through this."

When Riku fails to respond and continues his anxious drumming, Naminé decides to switch gears.

"You know," she starts, "I understand better than anyone what it feels like to be trapped in a room. For years the outside world seemed like the scariest place to me, but Roxas slowly helped me find the beauty in it. He's still showing me, and you're all showing me, too. So despite what's happened, I'm glad you're doing the same for Xion. I know things have been rocky between you two lately, but I'm certain that she appreciates you more than you know."

Riku noticeably stops his drumming and gazes at Naminé with softened eyes. For someone who had been contained for most of her life, she sure wasn't lacking in the comforting and social departments.

"Thank you, Naminé," he says graciously, but after one look into her glass-like eyes, his expression turns guilty. "I'm sorry you had to witness that fight."

Naminé hugs her own arms at the sudden display of violence earlier.

"There is beauty in this world," Riku continues, "but what you saw… didn't exhibit that."

"Perhaps," Naminé agrees after some time, "but I tell myself that it happened because you and Axel both care for Xion so deeply, so I suppose it isn't all bad."

Riku smiles sadly, but it's a smile nonetheless. "No, I suppose not."

Naminé nods bashfully in response, and that's when Sora, Kairi, Hayner, Pence, and Olette decide to make their entrance, all with concerned looks on their faces.

"Where is she? Is everything okay?" Kairi asks hastily.

"We don't know yet," Naminé answers softly. "We're still waiting on the results."

While the newcomers sigh impatiently, Riku takes a moment to acknowledge Kairi's new look.

"It looks good on you," he tells her. Beside him, Naminé agrees with a supportive thumbs up gesture.

"Thanks," Kairi says while twirling a piece of her newly cut hair.

"Not just the hair," Riku corrects, sensing a change in the very air surrounding her. "The confidence."

"Oh," Kairi says, flattered.

"So did you break Sora or what?" he then teases, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey!" Sora exclaims defensively. Then, with his head hung low in defeat and cheeks red, "Yes…"

When everyone giggles lightly at the confession (Kairi more flushed than the others, respectively), Naminé receives a text from her boyfriend.

"It's Roxas," she informs, "the results are ready."

* * *

Back in the hallway of the fourth floor, the members of the Disney castle listen intently as the doctor, who goes by Dr. Estheim, updates them on Xion's condition.

"Due to extremely high stress after suffering a concussion, Xion's immune system has weakened, causing the spread of her geostigma to accelerate greatly," the young doctor explains. "She's in critical condition, and we'll need to operate immediately, but the operation is costly."

"How costly?" Roxas asks. Beside him, Axel blanks out after the words _critical condition_.

The doctor then gives them a number that none of their bank accounts, not even combined, has even seen.

" _What?_ " Riku exclaims, wide-eyed. "We can't afford that."

"We can't afford that _now_ ," Roxas corrects. He then turns to Dr. Estheim with a pleading expression. "Is there any way we can postpone the procedure until we raise the funds?"

"Well," Dr. Estheim starts with crossed arms, "she would have to go into cryogenic sleep just to survive, otherwise risking the stigma spreading all over her body overnight."

"Cryo-what?" Axel asks, confused.

"Cryogenic sleep," Olette repeats. "It means they're going to store her body in extremely cold temperatures to preserve it."

The entire household freezes at the very thought of it.

"If we don't, she won't be able to move properly, and it'll only be a matter of months before she's… untreatable," Dr. Estheim says carefully.

Everyone's heads hang low at the thought, but Sora jumps in on a hopeful note.

"So let's say we agree to the cryogenic chamber and raise enough munny for the procedure," he starts. "What happens then? Will she be geostigma-free?"

Dr. Estheim shakes his head. "No, that can't be done with a single operation. It will certainly help stop the spreading and the growth, but she'll need at least a year of treatments to battle the entire stigma."

"Which are also costly," Riku says knowingly.

The doctor nods. "And not 100% guaranteed."

A mix of heavy sighs and frustrated groans sound from the group, but Sora keeps faith.

"How long would we have to get the payment ready for the chamber and the procedure?" he asks.

"Payment for the chamber and the procedure is due bi-weekly," Dr. Estheim answers. "But the longer she stays in the chamber, the higher the overall cost becomes."

"So we have two weeks to cough up the cash before having to cough up even more cash?" Hayner asks with disbelief amidst his wide-eyed companions.

"I can see that you need some time to discuss," Dr. Estheim observes. "I'll come back in a few minutes when your decision is made."

When Dr. Estheim respectfully walks away and gives them some privacy, Roxas immediately initiates the conversation, the decision being a no brainer for him.

"You guys heard what I just did right?" he asks. "We have to raise the munny within two weeks tops, otherwise putting Xion's life at risk."

Axel's chest tightens at the very thought of it.

"Yeah, but it's easier said than done," Hayner says. "Two weeks? We can't raise that amount of munny in that time frame even if we combined all our complimentary munny and donated all our kidneys."

"We can leverage the Oathkeepers," Roxas suggests. "Pull through with expanding the merchandise through an online shop and taking on more gigs."

Through a subtle nod, Naminé agrees that the Oathkeepers could definitely help, but the idea of Roxas suggesting them so quickly knowing in the back of his mind that it would also boost his popularity doesn't sit quite right with her; however, she tells herself that it's all for Xion and gives her boyfriend the benefit of the doubt.

"There's also plenty of competitions on the island with monetary rewards," Pence reminds. "We can sign up for a bunch and see where we can win."

A few others nod in agreement.

"Two weeks though," Axel repeats doubtfully. "I agree, it has to be done, but can it?"

Roxas places a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"We can do it," he says confidently. "But this will work if _and only if_ we work together, which means no more bad blood and unnecessary fights."

Riku and Axel immediately lock eyes, but Riku is the first to back off and nod respectfully for Xion's sake. With a heavy sigh, Axel recalls what he'd realized earlier about time being the true enemy and eventually nods as well.

"So there you have it," Roxas says proudly with his hands clasped together. "We're all on the same team now."

"I hate to be the bearer of more obstacles," Olette chimes, "but Xion is seventeen, which means we'll need consent from a legal parent or guardian to even proceed with any of this. Is anyone able to get in touch with her parents?"

"Actually," Axel starts, "Xion's mom signed me off as her legal guardian before we left for the resort, so I have the authority to sign whatever paperwork they throw at us."

"So we're all set then," Roxas observes. "What about it, guys? I know it seems daunting, but are you up for the challenge?"

"Of course!" Sora says enthusiastically while outstretching his hand. "You have my full support."

"And mine," Riku says, stacking his hand on top of Sora's.

"Me too," Kairi joins with a determined nod.

"And mine," Naminé says, voice timid but eyes fiercely determined.

"It's a bit heavy for summer vacation," Olette admits while extending her hand, "but I'm in."

"You have my sword, bow, _and_ my axe," Hayner says dramatically before throwing his hand in. It doesn't take long for the entire household to join in, their hands piling up into a tower of teamwork.

"I guess that settles it," Roxas says while stacking his hand on top of everyone else's. "We're not giving up!"

* * *

Back in the Disney castle den the following day, everyone watches the trainwreck that is the third episode of Teenage Wasteland unravel before their very eyes.

" **Good afternoon Kingdom Hearts Resort, and welcome to the third episode of Teenage Wasteland!"** Selphie greets. " **Much has happened to our special guests in the Disney Castle since your last visit, and boy do we have plenty of tasty drama to share with you. Above all, I know you're all dying to hear the latest on the blossoming romance between Tidus and Kairi, so let's start with that."**

Sora places a supportive hand on Kairi's shoulder, and the redhead holds her breath, bracing herself for the inevitable impact.

" **Things seemed to be going smoothly for our lovebirds…"**

At the word "smoothly", a montage of events shared between Tidus and Kairi since the last episode are shown: Kairi wearing his jersey at the blitzball tournament, Tidus leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek during the kiss cam debacle, the two sharing what appeared to be a heartfelt kiss at the top of the Ferris Wheel…

" **But for reasons even we can't fathom, Princess Kairi shockingly decides that even Tidus Clearwater isn't good enough for her and literally dumps him!"**

The video then cuts to a clip of Kairi dumping her strawberry milkshake on Tidus' head at the Mini-Putt Pixar golf course a few minutes before Sora had found her sulking that night, and everyone shakes their head at the misunderstanding.

" **She even enlists the help at her castle to be her partner in crime!"**

Sora and Kairi's eyes grow wide when footage of them paintballing Tidus' car and making their sweet escape is shown, but while the island likely thought of them as hooligans now, the two receive nothing but praise in the den for their actions.

"Honestly, good for you," Axel says with an approving nod. "Dude had it coming."

"Yeah," Roxas agrees. "I probably would've popped the tires too."

Kairi smiles at them thankfully for their support.

"Oh, so _that's_ where my paintball gun went," Hayner then whispers in the background.

The episode then features new footage of Tidus being interviewed in the left wing lounge, and the star player of the Zanarkand Abes appears to be in tears.

" **I really cared about her, you know?"** he cries, faking a sniffle for effect. " **My heart is so broken that I don't even know where to start picking up the pieces."**

Back in the den, Sora stands up and cups his hands over his mouth to amplify his voice. "Oh boo-freakin-hoo!"

" **Poor Tidus. Perhaps we've been looking at her wrong all along. Princess Kairi? More like Evil Witch Kairi!"**

At the mention of the words "evil witch", Kairi sighs heavily, but Olette places a hand over hers and gives her a determined nod, one that says _we know who you really are_ , and Kairi confidently returns the gesture.

" **But I'm afraid that's not the only drama brewing in the Disney Castle. Naminé appears to have her eyes set on someone new as well! Could she and lead singer Roxas Akiyama truly be drifting apart?"**

At the words "someone new", the show cuts to shots of Naminé flirting and embracing "hipster Roxas" during her opening night at Artist's Alley, and Roxas and Naminé almost chuckle at the scene.

"I seem to be cheating on you with yourself," she comments.

"Damn," Roxas says, smiling. "That's some pretty tough competition."

Naminé only rolls her eyes at the cocky comment and playfully shoves him.

" **Last week we also discovered something very interesting about Riku's new girl."**

After showing a clip of Riku and "Alice" meeting up at the Kingdom Karts track and some fast-paced shots of the entire race, everyone's eyes widen as footage of the tragic accident is shown, wincing as they painfully relive the shocking lightning strike called upon by Seifer. The kart he aims for flips over, and the camera captures Alice flinging out of the kart in slow motion, her wig falling off in the process and revealing her as Xion. Everyone's hearts, particularly Roxas, Axel, and Riku's, clench at the sight.

" **It turns out that Xion has been masquerading as Alice all along! Looks like Axel isn't the only one cheating in this dysfunctional relationship."**

"I'm going to be sick," Axel growls, fists clenched at the words _dysfunctional relationship_. Footage of Xion and Riku sharing their first kiss is then followed by footage of Axel showing off for a few girls at the Pier and his "mistress" Larxene sauntering out of his room.

" **But as playful as he comes across, Axel doesn't seem to take Xion and Riku's new relationship well. Could this really be love for our big, bad playboy?"**

At the Atlantica water park, Axel sprays Riku in the face as he lovingly gazes at Xion at the lazy river.

" **Since then, Riku and Axel have been vying for Xion's affections, and the winner has yet to be determined."**

The heated encounter between Axel and Riku at the Kingdom Karts track is then shown, followed by their argument in the castle lobby and their most recent fight at the Noize's backyard party. Xion collapses in Roxas' arms, and the once riled up crowd simmers down in pure shock.

" **But that's not all. We recently discovered that Xion has been long diagnosed with geostigma, and due to high stress, she is now in critical condition and will be kept in the hospital until further notice. Who will our sleeping beauty pick if and when she wakes from her slumber? More details to come on the next episode of Teenage Wasteland!"**

When Selphie finally turns her attention to something other than the members of the Disney Castle, Riku turns the projector off with a heavy sigh. Who Xion supposedly "picked" when she woke up wasn't his concern. First and foremost, it was actually waking her up, and secondary to that, he feared the way the island would view her now that they knew about her geostigma. They would look at her as if she were weak and incapable, but that wasn't the case at all. Despite her condition, she was incredibly brave and strong, and although she may have been suspended in a cryogenic chamber for the time being, he knew there was a war waging inside her that constantly needed to be fought.

Sensing the anxiety in Riku's tensed shoulders, Roxas gets up from his seat and initiates the meeting.

"Okay everyone, time for a brainstorming session," he announces when he reaches the front of the room, hands clasped together. "What's the game plan so far?"

"First things first, we'll have to tap into our stash of complimentary munny," Riku says. "Whether it's used to pay entry fees for high-paying competitions or to pitch in for the procedure in general, we'll need it."

Everyone nods dutifully as if expecting it.

"To help leverage the Oathkeepers, Hayner and I can work on building a website," Olette offers, and beside her, the gamer nods in agreement. "Like you said, we can expand the merchandise shop online, and any profits will go directly towards Xion's procedure."

"I can create more designs for different products," Naminé says, chipping in.

"And I can work on making more orders," Kairi adds.

"I also propose a photo shoot," Pence says. "We can use the photos on the website and feature the members modelling or using the new line of merchandise for a more personal touch, and we can use them for posts on your social media channels, too."

The members of the Oathkeepers (sans Hayner who flinches at the very thought of modelling) nod, the idea growing on them.

"But in order to catch sales, the Oathkeepers are going to need more exposure until the next round," Riku reminds, "which isn't until the end of the week on Friday."

"We can take on more gigs like Roxas said," Sora suggests, "but I think we're going to need more than that."

"Actually," Roxas starts, rubbing his hands together as his creative juices begin to flow. "Now that we're on the subject of increasing online presence, I think I have an idea for that. How would you guys feel about filming the Oathkeepers' very first music video?"

Encouraging nods fill the room.

"That's a great idea!" Sora exclaims. "But… who would direct it?"

"I think our director is sitting right here," Roxas answers, his sights set on Pence in particular. "I don't think anyone else could do a better job, to be honest, but how would you feel about directing, Pence?"

The photographer/videographer places a heartfelt hand over his heart. "It would be my honour. In fact, I may already have a concept in mind."

"Awesome," Roxas says, a pleased smile gracing his lips.

"Okay, so what about non-Oathkeeper related tactics?" Riku asks, steering the conversation into a different direction. "I agree, they'll help tremendously, but I don't think we should be throwing all our eggs in one basket on the slight chance that things fall through. I've started looking, and I came across some swimming competitions that might help."

"Well I don't know about you guys, but the two versus two competition for Alliance of the Ancients is coming up, and CuTiePie and A Tasty Meatball are ready to crush some plebs together," Hayner says while dramatically punching a fist into an open palm. Beside him, Olette giggles at his wording.

"Verum Rex season is also about to start up, so we'll be training for that," the brunette adds.

"There's also an upcoming Dance Party competition that Sora and I can participate in alongside the swimming," Kairi offers, and Sora winks while clicking his tongue beside her.

"I can offer assistance by joining some art competitions online," Naminé says.

"And I also found out that the island is hosting something called the Lucky Emblem challenge," Pence informs. "Basically there are a hundred Mickey-Mouse shaped symbols scattered throughout the entire island, and the first to capture all of them wins 5,000 munny."

"Gee," Roxas says while scratching the back of his head, impressed by everyone's support and enthusiasm. "Thanks for looking into all of that guys."

"Axel, you've been awfully quiet," Riku observes with crossed arms. Everyone turns towards the redhead who appears to have his clouded mind elsewhere.

"Don't take it the wrong way," the drummer of the Oathkeepers assures, his smile heartfelt but eyes clearly hurting. "I appreciate your support and all, but… I just hope it's enough to wake her up."

"It will be enough," Roxas says firmly. "We're going to do our very best."

"And that's a promise!" Sora adds optimistically. "We're all Oathkeepers now."

" _Ugh_ ," Hayner says while rolling his eyes. "You know, I really thought we were having a moment there, but that just about killed it."

Everyone, even Axel, lets out a chuckle at the sarcastic comment.

"So how about it, Axel?" Roxas asks, his hand outstretched for their signature handshake. "You with us?"

Axel looks at his best friend's outstretched hand, his determined eyes, and the faces of everyone else willing to help. It was a difficult task at hand for a bunch of teenagers, near impossible really, but working together would be the only way to try and fulfill it. He couldn't dwell on _if_ things would work out; they _had_ to. They only had one shot, and he, alongside everyone else, had to take it.

"Yeah," the redhead eventually agrees while returning the gesture, the morale in him slowly being restored. "Let's get this show on the road."

**tbc**

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one notes:
> 
> Fun fact: I am a proud owner of all of Sora's Nerf guns.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the first installment of Project: Teenage Wasteland. Please kindly leave a comment to share your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors that I might have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!
> 
> xoKyorii


End file.
